The Elder Scrolls Online

 PC
User Score
5.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 2703 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,210 out of 2703
  2. Mixed: 447 out of 2703
  3. Negative: 1,046 out of 2703
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  1. Cell1e
    Dec 30, 2020
    8
    This game has improved a lot since I first reviewed it 4 years ago, its now has lots more customisation, leveling is easier and so is making money in game. In fact this game has now become one of my favourite mmos to play on a regular basis but much of that has to do with the quality of life improvements that the modders have made to the game. Funny but true and very typical of a BethesdaThis game has improved a lot since I first reviewed it 4 years ago, its now has lots more customisation, leveling is easier and so is making money in game. In fact this game has now become one of my favourite mmos to play on a regular basis but much of that has to do with the quality of life improvements that the modders have made to the game. Funny but true and very typical of a Bethesda game. Still I can now recommend that you try this game, add a few mods to it as well and you will love it. :)… Expand
  2. Triageguy
    Apr 14, 2014
    8
    As many people can be nervous about a new MMO, this one was no different. But after I learned the mechanics and got my feet wet, I've had a blast. It is a fresh take on the crowded MMO genre and I'm glad I spent the money. You can play it like a traditional MMO or play it like an Elder Scrolls Game, both are fun and viable. The large scale PvP is my favorite and it is well implemented andAs many people can be nervous about a new MMO, this one was no different. But after I learned the mechanics and got my feet wet, I've had a blast. It is a fresh take on the crowded MMO genre and I'm glad I spent the money. You can play it like a traditional MMO or play it like an Elder Scrolls Game, both are fun and viable. The large scale PvP is my favorite and it is well implemented and executed. It is worth playing and has taken up more of my time than I thought it would. Take a shot at it, there is something in ESO for everyone.… Expand
  3. mysterybounty
    Apr 14, 2014
    9
    I see people giving this game a 0-5 score and those people need to realize what reviewing a game actually means. Even 5 years ago it was implausible to think an MMO could achieve some of the things Elder Scrolls Online manages to do. From making a better community by only having 1 MEGA Server, to somehow making the game feel like an action RPG that just happens to be online, Zenimax knocksI see people giving this game a 0-5 score and those people need to realize what reviewing a game actually means. Even 5 years ago it was implausible to think an MMO could achieve some of the things Elder Scrolls Online manages to do. From making a better community by only having 1 MEGA Server, to somehow making the game feel like an action RPG that just happens to be online, Zenimax knocks it out of the park with this game at every turn, Elder Scrolls Online is immersive, gigantic, and a blast to play, the first MMO in YEARS I have felt like I HAD to get back on everyday, anyone giving this game a score lower than a 6 is trolling I guarantee it.… Expand
  4. Augustus75
    Apr 14, 2014
    9
    If not for the unfortunate amount of bugs, this game would be getting a much higher score. The PVE is interesting, and while following the same grammar of other mmorpgs they manage to create an engaging world and story line that seems fresh. The graphics are without any argument the best in the business, but again the immersion can sometimes be broken by clunky movement and those peskyIf not for the unfortunate amount of bugs, this game would be getting a much higher score. The PVE is interesting, and while following the same grammar of other mmorpgs they manage to create an engaging world and story line that seems fresh. The graphics are without any argument the best in the business, but again the immersion can sometimes be broken by clunky movement and those pesky launch bugs.
    Combat in this game is exciting, and moves the genre forward not only through versatile, dynamic builds, but also by implementing dodge and aim as opposed to basic tab targeting/macro mashing. The use of instances and similar zone hubs is disappointing, but the sheer size of each zone gives creedence to exploring. The guild stores are interesting compared to the standard AH, and being able to join up to 5 guilds ensures finding a speedy way to buy and sell; I would like the functionality to be more streamlined and easier to use, but hopefully as with Rift, these improvements will be implemented easily within the first year.

    To sum up, this game has some great mechanics behind it, good pvp, good crafting, good community, and beautiful world. The rocky launch remains unfortunate but the game is enjoyable despite. This might be the most grown up, mature mmorpg to date, and while not groundbreaking, it manages to revive a feeling of freshness to an increasingly stale, over-saturated market.    … Expand
  5. Liquidfire
    Apr 27, 2014
    9
    Lovely game, A fresh look upon MMOs, and one that has caught my attention after my last MMO (Wish).
    Exploring is awesome, not feel to rush to level 50. There are a few down sides though, but I am sure they fix them soon.
    1. Auction House + Bots and goldsellers(but that's just programmer vs programmer). 2. Some minor bugs, which can easily happen in complex games like this. A lot of    Lovely game, A fresh look upon MMOs, and one that has caught my attention after my last MMO (Wish).
    Exploring is awesome, not feel to rush to level 50. There are a few down sides though, but I am sure they fix them soon.

    1. Auction House + Bots and goldsellers(but that's just programmer vs programmer).
    2. Some minor bugs, which can easily happen in complex games like this.

    A lot of people are whining here, because they don't have patience. It's by all means not a bad game, and don't let the negative review, let you think that.    … Expand
  6. Neizir
    Apr 28, 2014
    9
    Here's my review:
    Questing: Can be either good or bad depending on whether or not you care about a game's story. If you actually care about the story, you're in for a real treat with questing in ESO. Every quest is fun and immersive if you listen to the story. Simple fetch or kill quests (There are very few of these, by the way.) will actually have some meaning towards them and sometimes    Here's my review:
    Questing: Can be either good or bad depending on whether or not you care about a game's story. If you actually care about the story, you're in for a real treat with questing in ESO. Every quest is fun and immersive if you listen to the story. Simple fetch or kill quests (There are very few of these, by the way.) will actually have some meaning towards them and sometimes don't even feel like they're "grindy" quests at all even though they clearly are. For example, "Kill 6 bandits because they killed my family." feels like less of a chore than "Kill 6 bandits because pigs can fly.". If you just whiz through the dialogue and go straight to the objective, you won't like questing and everything stated above will just go ahead and contradict itself, feeling like a typical MMO grind. In my opinion questing is good fun if you're not a rusher who skips as much as he can to get to the end of the game. 8/10 for Questing.

    Combat: For a real-time system, ESO's combat is sort of a mixed bag. Melee combat is excellent. Hits feel like they have an impact, thanks to screen shaking and collision detection and "Ouch"-sounding sounds. Blocking and interrupting, however, don't really feel that necessary, except when the enemy charges up a special attack. Bow and Staff combat isn't brilliant and feel like they need to have more of an impact through both sound and sight. Combat is generally fun but more can be worked on regarding ranged combat. 7/10 for Combat.

    Graphics and Visuals: Aboslutely stunning, the only other MMO I can think of that looks better is Planetside 2, and that uses something along the lines of the Unreal Engine. The textures are very high quality, and shading and lighting can't get any better than what they are now. Even in PVP, where there are hundreds of players and effects on the screen, my R9 270X, the equivalent of a GTX 660 Ti, maintains a solid 30 FPS. The art style, however, really hinders how visually appealing ESO really is. If the art style were on par with Skyrim, ESO would easily beat Skyrim by a country mile in terms of graphics. 9/10 for visuals.

    Exploration and World Design: Exploration is one of ESO's greatest strengths. There is no sitting in cities waiting for an LFG queue to pop, in fact sitting in a city at all gets you to somewhere equivalent to where a penguin would get if it tried to fly (In short, nowhere at all.). Even if you use the game's built-in LFG tools, you and your group still need to walk to the entrance of the dungeon and need to discover it before teleporting to it again. The game's brilliant megaserver helps make this possible. Sure, if you just wander off for miles you won't really get anywhere either, but level scaling like in the other TES games isn't possible in an MMORPG. There's still lore books, skyshards, quests every step you take, solo dungeons, world bosses and more. There's an infinite supply of content in this game.
    Speaking of the megaserver, I think it really promotes that sense of community in the game and brings me back to the old days of WoW, where someone who was found trolling or being nooby was called out and never got invited to a group. Plus the technology embedded into it prevents overcrowding while at the same time maintaining a healthy number of players in the game space. 10/10 for exploration.

    PvP: Absolutely nothing negative can be said about PvP in this game. It's just...literally flawless. Seriously, how can you dislike hundreds of players battling it out for hours over a single fortress with siege weapons like trebuchets and their faction's might? A single castle isn't all; there's 18 forts across the 16 square mile area for you to ransack, as well as ancient Ayleid ruins, NPC towns, Dark Anchors etc. Thanks to these PvE objectives, you don't have to march with all your factions' might to another keep, you may unexpectedly find a player of the opposing faction in the town or ruin you're exploring encouraging small-scale PvP for those that want it. It's also balanced perfectly, maybe thanks to ESO's nearly-classless style of character building. You don't even have to be a high level to be viable, you can go in at Level 10 and have your stats boosted to match a level 50s, bar maybe a few passives. 10/10 for PVP.

    Game Systems
    There are still a plentiful amount of bugs in the game, and bots and gold sellers run rampant throughout the zones (particularly Stonefalls, Glenumbral, Auridon and Coldharbour). Customer Support itself is very responsive and I know they do alot of things to stop these bots. I've even seen a Game Master physically manifest in a dungeon and caused bots to disappear. However, the amount of bugs and bots are not good at all. 6/10 for Game Systems/Customer Service

    Endgame and Longevity
    Raids that are actually hard, Heroic Dungeons, Adventure Zones, Veteran Rank questing, PvP, lorebooks, Skyshards, questing... What else is to be said? There's a ton of things to do in ESO. 9/10 for Endgame.
    9/10.    … Expand
  7. Sloanster
    Jan 25, 2015
    9
    It's almost been a year since the game dropped, and ESO has changed. Yes, it was bugged at the start and there were some major gameplay issues corrupting everyone's experience. After a good amount of time, I can safely say TESO is one of my favorite MMOs I have played yet. The community is fantastic, and I find the questing to be very fun. Graphics aren't very important in an MMO, but theyIt's almost been a year since the game dropped, and ESO has changed. Yes, it was bugged at the start and there were some major gameplay issues corrupting everyone's experience. After a good amount of time, I can safely say TESO is one of my favorite MMOs I have played yet. The community is fantastic, and I find the questing to be very fun. Graphics aren't very important in an MMO, but they still look beautiful. If you can keep you mind open, and remember not to compare is to Skyrim or the previous Elder Scrolls games, you might actually enjoy yourself. I only give this a 9/10, because there are still some issues in gameplay mechanics, but the developers have promised fixes will be on their way.… Expand
  8. bungler
    Mar 15, 2015
    9
    Post Update 6 Review:

    Pros:
    - Currently the best graphics out of any MMO
    - Solid combat system (post Update 6)
    - TONS of content
    - Excellent armor customization
    - Active and friendly community

    Cons:
    - PVP still needs work
    - Broken group finder
  9. Ultrabonz
    Sep 30, 2014
    8
    Good and underrated MMORPG.

    If you hate this game, it's probably because you've expected a follow up to Skyrim. The thing is: If you wanna play Skyrim, then play Skyrim. This is not Skyrim, or Oblivion. This is an MMORPG taking place in the Elder Scrolls universe. Don't compare this game to singleplayer RPG's, compare it to other MMORPGs. As an MMORPG, I can highly recommend TESO to    Good and underrated MMORPG.

    If you hate this game, it's probably because you've expected a follow up to Skyrim. The thing is: If you wanna play Skyrim, then play Skyrim. This is not Skyrim, or Oblivion. This is an MMORPG taking place in the Elder Scrolls universe. Don't compare this game to singleplayer RPG's, compare it to other MMORPGs.

    As an MMORPG, I can highly recommend TESO to anyone who doesn't just rush to the next higher level, but is willing to explore the world, find its secrets, and talk to NPCs. TESO offers more story in 5 hours than WoW in 50 hours. If you don't care about story or dialogues or characters and just want to level up as easy and as fast as possible, then stick with WoW. This game is different.

    The stories and quests don't reach the level of Skyrim or other good singleplayer RPGs, but the standard here is way above WoW and most other MMORPGs. The only other MMORPG which offers the same kind of elaborate and interesting quests is Secret World. Again: If you prefer generic, repetitive quests which only serve to level up your character, then look elsewhere. I play TESO to experience the world and its stories, levelling up is just a nice sideeffect for me.

    If you skip all the dialogues anyway and never take your time, then you miss the essence of what makes TESO better than WoW, imo. In TESO, it pays to be an explorer and it pays to be patient. You don't just follow the quest marker to your next quest/quest hub. Instead, you wonder what's behind the tall rocks to your left or how you can get to that small island in the top left corner of your map.

    I would have preferred more solo instances, though. When you enter a huge palace in order to poison some guy and steal his key to a chest where you find the document you need to obtain, it sadly becomes quite absurd when three other players are doing the same thing at the same time in the same "realm" as you are. Since houses and dungeons are loaded separately anyway, why not make them instanced to you or your party? This would have made a lot more sense and the way it is done now really kills the immersion sometimes.

    Also, fast travel could be improved. There are waypoint shrines scattered across the map. I expected to only be able to fast travel from waypoint to waypoint, but once you've discovered a particular waypoint, you can fast travel there from anywhere on the map, which doesn't make a lot of sense and again hurts the immersion.

    Also, you can always see the whole map right from the beginning. There is no "fog" on the map which disappears once you enter a new area. This is something WoW does better, imo.

    The graphics are good for the most part, especially the lighting. Only downside are washed out textures which don't look so good when you get close. World design is very interesting, with a rather realistic look and enough landmarks which stand out and help your orientation. Music is solid but could be better.

    Combat system is a step up from the typical MMO/WoW formula. Maybe that doesn't say much because let's be honest: combat in WoW is not tactical at all - just spam your skills over and over again, that's all.
    The combat in TESO might not have alot of depth, either, but at least it's entertaining.

    Just look at all the 0 and 1 reviews here. They often hate TESO for not being like Skyrim or WoW or both of them. Well, TESO is TESO, folks! It is different. If you want the same thing you've already played, why don't you just play WoW of Skyrim again? Don't be stupid: We all want the "Übergame" which offers the best of WoW and Skyrim and The Witcher and any other RPG. But this is not going happen. TESO is pretty good at what it does. And if you just rushed through the game in two weeks and complain about the lack of endgame content, then let me tell you this: I don't give a fck about the endgame. I wanna play the game, not the end of the game. You guys probably didn't give a fck about the NPCs and quests, because you're used to WoW, where they both don't matter at all. But that only means you missed half of the game. Then maybe TESO just isn't the game for you. But "completing" the whole game and then punish it with a 0 or a 1 is just really dumb and says alot more about you than about the game. I could never get past lvl45 in WoW, because it just became really boring and mindnumbing repetitive.

    Why some people want to complete and reach the endgame of an MMORPG they totally hate is beyond me. What I do know: Their opinion is best to be ignored.    … Expand
  10. Noshido
    Oct 14, 2014
    10
    A lot of people have given this game a lot of grief. To be perfectly honest I really don't get why. I have been playing this game since its early release, and it has been one of the best game experiences I have ever had. This game has massive environments to explore, its fully voice acted, and has an entertaining combat system. I have already leveled 7 characters to veteran ranks, and evenA lot of people have given this game a lot of grief. To be perfectly honest I really don't get why. I have been playing this game since its early release, and it has been one of the best game experiences I have ever had. This game has massive environments to explore, its fully voice acted, and has an entertaining combat system. I have already leveled 7 characters to veteran ranks, and even with the few bugs that exist, have yet to see a real show stopping issue. Something else to consider is that this game has good graphics for an MMORPG. Now I am not saying there the best, Crysis 3, Witcher 2, or other similar one player games will always hold that title, especially since they don't have to give you thousands of hours of content to play. A person can blast through Crysis 3 in a day, but an MMO has to give you more and ESO does. In its category it stands out for its visual appeal, and yes there are bugs, but when you think about the monumental scale of work they have done its nothing worth complaining about. I have been playing video games since the original Nintendo, and have played just about every genre of game from tactical to rpg to shooters and more, and I can say that this is the best game I have ever played. Don't listen to the people who tear this game down, try it and you might just be surprised.… Expand
  11. Forrrge
    Mar 18, 2015
    8
    I came to this game very late, in fact just a month before it was due to make the subscription optional. Therefore the game has had a years worth of bug fixes, patches, content updates, balances and refinements. I've played many MMORPGs over the years, some with a subscription, some free to play and some with the same model being used here, in my personal opinion it is right up there.I came to this game very late, in fact just a month before it was due to make the subscription optional. Therefore the game has had a years worth of bug fixes, patches, content updates, balances and refinements. I've played many MMORPGs over the years, some with a subscription, some free to play and some with the same model being used here, in my personal opinion it is right up there. Heaps of quests, all voice acted and to a high level, large areas to explore, easy and meaningful crafting (I normally avoid like the plague) and a great atmosphere, its the most fun I've had in a game of this type for a long time.

    There are negatives however, if grouping is your thing, they do make it difficult i.e. people in the same area will see different things depending upon where they are in the quest e.g. mobs may be friendly to them and not to you. I would almost go as far to say that its an enhanced single player game that has multiplayer elements (which suits me). Highly recommended.    … Expand
  12. cronuss
    Apr 8, 2014
    10
    This is the most fun I've had with an MMO since UO, DAOC, and WoW beta.

    The world is beautiful and immersive, the story is engaging, and the combat is epic. I'd go as far sa to say that the combat in this game is better than some single player games, including the other Elder Scrolls games. The scope of this game is just massive, and that trait carries into PvP as well. Giant armies    This is the most fun I've had with an MMO since UO, DAOC, and WoW beta.

    The world is beautiful and immersive, the story is engaging, and the combat is epic. I'd go as far sa to say that the combat in this game is better than some single player games, including the other Elder Scrolls games.

    The scope of this game is just massive, and that trait carries into PvP as well. Giant armies don't just smash together and zerg it out, but rather erupt into entire battlefields of skirmishes, flank attacks, and retreats. The castles are massive and can be attacked on any side via various siege equipment.

    I showed the game to some friends of mine who are burned out on the MMO genre, and base don what they saw they agreed to give it a try. Now that we are all playing, I swear the phrase, "I can't believe this is an MMO" gets thrown out at least 10 times a night.

    So glad I didn't let the trolls or 1-star-kids sway me from this game, and you shouldn't either.

    I'm excited to feel like a kid again. Thanks, ESO. ;)    … Expand
  13. kheas
    Apr 28, 2014
    9
    I started playing this game in Beta and was immediately interested in pre-ordering the game. I am glad I did. This game gives me everything I liked about the single player Elderscrolls games but with a larger area to explore and more options than ever before. I am thoroughly enjoying myself and look forward to the future expansions to come.

    This is the MMO for fans of the    I started playing this game in Beta and was immediately interested in pre-ordering the game. I am glad I did. This game gives me everything I liked about the single player Elderscrolls games but with a larger area to explore and more options than ever before. I am thoroughly enjoying myself and look forward to the future expansions to come.

    This is the MMO for fans of the Elderscrolls series and play style. It is not the MMO to replace WOW but one that will appeal to those of us that like the solo game-play of Elderscrolls and would like the option to play with others. If Bethesda were smart they would market this game more toward the non-WOW players and try to bring on board people like myself, solo gamers.

    I cant give it a perfect 10 but it comes darn close (9.75 if I could). Great game, beautiful graphics, excellent controls and UI. A few glitches and bugs but overall I Love it.    … Expand
  14. Judas_IV
    Apr 26, 2014
    10
    This game follows the Elder Scrolls series It pulls in references from Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim.
    The look of this game is astounding! The game play is familiar if you've played any MMO before.
    The ability to have such an open ended creation tool to create any type of character is far better than the constraints of other MMO's or even single player games. The questing is very    This game follows the Elder Scrolls series It pulls in references from Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim.
    The look of this game is astounding! The game play is familiar if you've played any MMO before.
    The ability to have such an open ended creation tool to create any type of character is far better than the constraints of other MMO's or even single player games.
    The questing is very story driven to where you'll have a chain of quests before it resolves, and gives questing much more significance than simply grinding animals for pelts.

    I love this game and despise the folks that feel entitled to play with out paying for quality in a subscription based model. To them I say....If you can't afford it, don't blame the game. I hope it keeps out the haters and whiners that plagued WoW for so long.

    If you like Elder Scrolls and MMO's, then this game is going to make you very happy.    … Expand
  15. alien5
    Apr 14, 2014
    10
    Not perfect by any stretch, but certainly the MMO i can recommend most out of the last 5 years. Reviewing after playing to cap and doing a fair amount of pvp

    -No cooldowns means youre actually managing 3 resources instead of mindlessly spamming abilities -Active attacking, blocking, dodging, and interrupts, the ultimate system, two swappable weapon sets with their own bars, all make    Not perfect by any stretch, but certainly the MMO i can recommend most out of the last 5 years. Reviewing after playing to cap and doing a fair amount of pvp

    -No cooldowns means youre actually managing 3 resources instead of mindlessly spamming abilities
    -Active attacking, blocking, dodging, and interrupts, the ultimate system, two swappable weapon sets with their own bars, all make the combat a lot more visceral than 95% of MMOs out there, and with the above, makes it better than just about everything, combat wise, save TERA imo
    -Questing gets rid of the "hub" design and instead brings you to different towns/villages/forts/settlements/etc that have a specific problem going on that needs to be solved
    -Many quests you options on how to resolve them, some even having interesting (read: not GOOD OR EVIL?!?!) moral decisions to make
    -Character design is pretty detailed. Certainly less ugly than Oblivion or even Skyrim as far as models go
    -Character building is second to none as far as MMOs go. While not the same as the classic TES system, you end up with an amazing amount of flexibility and options
    -TON of solo content. I've had to play a ton to get to cap within the two or so weeks by launch, and am now given the option to play the OTHER two territories for content.
    -PvP isn't quite DAoC, but the adjustments to siege equipment and respawning certainly make it better than WAR or GW2, imo. Massive area to fight over, generally very awesome.

    only real complaints
    -peak hours have made loading times awful at points (they're "working on it")
    -hate not having nameplates above players
    -need more guild customization options
    -Vampires/werewolves don't have near enough drawbacks to be balanced
    -need better chat options for PvP for coordinating the faction
    -wish i didnt have to use addons to get proper dmg and buff feedback    … Expand
  16. Dragos1130
    Apr 13, 2014
    10
    I've stood by long enough and watched too many reviewers judge this game too quickly for, quite frankly, mostly ridiculous reasons. Don't let other people dictate your view of this game (even me) but if you want to know my opinion, the game is wonderful so far. If you take the time to get involved in the stories and dialogue and not try to be the first one to reach max level, trust me, youI've stood by long enough and watched too many reviewers judge this game too quickly for, quite frankly, mostly ridiculous reasons. Don't let other people dictate your view of this game (even me) but if you want to know my opinion, the game is wonderful so far. If you take the time to get involved in the stories and dialogue and not try to be the first one to reach max level, trust me, you will have a lot more fun. Zenimax really did an excellent job and put the work in. It does have flaws including some bugs but for the most part I haven't found anything so damning as to give this game a rating any lower than a 9 or 10. If you are expecting this game to be at all like WoW, it isn't. If you think it is a clone of Guild Wars 2, it's not. That being said, you simply have to judge the game for yourself. On a side note, if you played the game and didn't like it that is fine and your criticisms are worth reading but your pitiful hatred and tantrums over, say, the monthly subscription fee (I shouldn't have to explain this but sub fees help fund company employees who work on the game and continue to make it better) are worthless and a waste of everyone's time.… Expand
  17. Bakfyre
    Apr 12, 2014
    9
    In "Open Beta", there were still bugs, and people complained. They weren't allowed to play Skyrim, and people complained. It took more than an hour and a half to reach level 10, and people complained. Sooooo...all in all, well done. Though Skyrim is an awesome game, it can't be 'the same' and be a MMO. The quests (though, yes there is some grinding), are interesting and actually fit inIn "Open Beta", there were still bugs, and people complained. They weren't allowed to play Skyrim, and people complained. It took more than an hour and a half to reach level 10, and people complained. Sooooo...all in all, well done. Though Skyrim is an awesome game, it can't be 'the same' and be a MMO. The quests (though, yes there is some grinding), are interesting and actually fit in the lore completely.… Expand
  18. Jerkamie
    Apr 13, 2014
    10
    I was a bit flustered at the start with this game, but once I took the time to learn how to play, wow. I've never had so much fun. It needs work, but you know what? they are working on it? This game gets a 10 from me.
  19. auntumleaf
    Apr 15, 2014
    10
    The questing is intriguing and fun. The game developers put a work into it. Very enjoyable playing in the game world. Alliance vs alliance battle is a lot of fun.

    Zenimax stick to their vision of the game but still listen to the playing community to make good improvements. Some bugs are to be expected in the first couple months of a new MMO launch. They have been moving very quick    The questing is intriguing and fun. The game developers put a work into it. Very enjoyable playing in the game world. Alliance vs alliance battle is a lot of fun.

    Zenimax stick to their vision of the game but still listen to the playing community to make good improvements. Some bugs are to be expected in the first couple months of a new MMO launch. They have been moving very quick to address the issues.

    For those who hating on the subscription model, you do know in life you get what you are paying for. This game is worth it.    … Expand
  20. wimmy1
    Apr 16, 2014
    8
    People hate on this game because it isn't enough like Skyrim. Well, let me tell you something, this game innovates on the typical MMO experience and is a lot of fun. The environments are beautiful and the gameplay is fresh. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoyed Skyrim, but thought it was overrated. Because it was.
  21. taijutsumike
    Jun 7, 2014
    9
    This is an early play review, but I thought it important to put out there based on all the mixed reviews so far.

    Installation This was a really simple deal. Much like any other MMO, you download the 130mb launcher and then sign in so it can download the other 23gb. There is a security feature, different from others i've seen where it will ask you for a code if you log in from an    This is an early play review, but I thought it important to put out there based on all the mixed reviews so far.

    Installation
    This was a really simple deal. Much like any other MMO, you download the 130mb launcher and then sign in so it can download the other 23gb. There is a security feature, different from others i've seen where it will ask you for a code if you log in from an unfamiliar IP location... the client and website does that, so if you forget your password there are some extra security steps that can seem frustrating.

    Also the client downloaded 23gb, installed it then wanted to download another 5gb. I can't be sure if they were doing this because the second 5gb was an additional patch, some people are reporting that the client / patch system is a little off right now. so dont pay too much attention to the % bar.

    Looks
    Let it be noted that this is the first game in MMO history that gave me the best settings for my laptop, off the bat. I did adjust the graphics up a little, but even on medium settings the game looks pretty. It has oblivion style graphics with a skyrim interface... its not super mind blowing pretty, but it looks pretty good. I haven't been to Daggerfall since '97, so seeing it rebuilt here was really refreshing. I've been to Daggerfall, Stros M'Kai and some alied ruins, which all look like they should from their respective games. Its worth noting, that for me, the first log in time and one time when I changed a graphic setting, it took a long time to get into back into the game (maybe 2 - 5 mins or so)

    Gameplay
    My major fault with pretty much every MMO - especially with SWTOR - is that in order to survive the main storyline, you have to do every single quest just to be able to participate in the main story line. When I left the first location I found a woman who wanted to chat (these use Skyrim "undiscovered markers" to let you know that someone can give you a quest). Turns out this was one of main story quests. We went on a good 2-3 hour series of quests that led me back to daggerfall. Sometimes the quests can seem kinda basic and the quest locations kinda linear, but the plus side to that is that once you get done with a minor quest, you are ready to get back out there into something else.

    My main gripe with a lot of MMO's is that either you don't know what you're supposed to be doing (WOW gives you a solid quest line for the first 5 levels then just puts you out there feeling lost) or I get completely anxious because I am running around for hours on side quests while everything is focused on end game content for the people that get to the level cap in three days. ESO doesn't feel like that - I have been happily running quests, bumping into the occasional person and not feeling worried about what I might be missing out on.

    Combat is pretty awesome so far. Its not quite like skyrim where a block guarantees a blocked attack, but you can block the major - interruptable attacks. Im playing with a dragonknight and a happy with the sword and shield combat style, fire based attacks I have chosen. Part of me wonders if I should have gone for a healer type for later stuff... but again I don't get class envy that I have in other MMOs.

    ESO doesn't have the complete freedom that Elderscrolls games usually boast... yet. But I don't feel like thats anything I need to feel concerned about. There is plenty going on.

    I'm really enjoying my time here so far and have had nothing but positive experiences. Yes its a little on the expensive side, but its new... and It feels worth every penny.    … Expand
  22. kartharian
    Sep 3, 2014
    10
    Made an account just to let my voice be heard. Great game. Hands down the best MMO ive played since wow in 2008. The devs go their own way and dont follow the MMO trends of the EQ/WoW clones. Watch some gameplay videos and even a questing video and see for yourself
  23. XandWacky
    Jan 11, 2015
    10
    I enjoyed this game. All the things that were in Skyrim and other Elder Scrolls will be making their way with content patches. Onto the real review: This game is amazing. This game is immersive. This game feels and looks like time was put into this. It doesn't even feel like a theme park ride, it feels sandbox. If you are looking for a new MMO or game in general, you should give this a try.
  24. X0R
    Apr 7, 2014
    9
    This is one of the first games in a decade that has kept me up all night, when I see the time that passed it shocks me. The gameplay & exploration bring me back to Asheron's Call & vanilla WoW, but the graphics are very neat. Is this game for everyone? Obviously not, but it fits what I crave. So many places to read reviews already, videos you can watch - so I'm not going to review itThis is one of the first games in a decade that has kept me up all night, when I see the time that passed it shocks me. The gameplay & exploration bring me back to Asheron's Call & vanilla WoW, but the graphics are very neat. Is this game for everyone? Obviously not, but it fits what I crave. So many places to read reviews already, videos you can watch - so I'm not going to review it myself blow-by-blow. It's always exciting running over the next hill to see what's over the ridge, the landscapes are brilliant with all settings maxed - which I get no lag but I see occasional crashes still. Work in progress like every other game at release. There are aspects I really like, and things that I hope they change. It's not as stupid-easy as WoW, so I hope the monthly fee keeps maturity-challenged slugs behind a fence for a while. For me, the box price & subscription are worth every penny. Will it survive more than a few years with a subscription? Go buy a magic 8-ball and we'll see.… Expand
  25. MercyKilling
    Apr 6, 2014
    10
    The game has some bugs, but what MMO at launch didn't? It's visually stunning, easily besting any MMO currently on the market in that category, yet remarkably easy on low end systems to achieve said graphics.

    Literally dozens of times over the past week I've been on my way to a quest and gotten sidetracked by looking off into the distance and seeing something and going, "OOO...that    The game has some bugs, but what MMO at launch didn't? It's visually stunning, easily besting any MMO currently on the market in that category, yet remarkably easy on low end systems to achieve said graphics.

    Literally dozens of times over the past week I've been on my way to a quest and gotten sidetracked by looking off into the distance and seeing something and going, "OOO...that looks great!! Let's get a closer look!!" and being led into yet ANOTHER adventure/quest.

    Zenimax has said there are further content updates coming out in weeks of the launch. WEEKS. That's great news.

    Content locusts have already hit level 50+Vr10(basically you get to cap and start working on "veteran levels" so level cap is basically 60) but hey. PvP is engaging enough to be a stopgap filler until new content comes out.    … Expand
  26. The88thknight
    Apr 12, 2014
    9
    This game deserves all the praise it gets and more. You can really see the effort and care that Zenimax put into making this game. It's such a good blend of traditional MMO play and Elder Scrolls play. If you completely expect one or the other then you are going to be disappointed. For once in an mmorpg I am just playing to adventure and learn about as much lore as I can. I hardly evenThis game deserves all the praise it gets and more. You can really see the effort and care that Zenimax put into making this game. It's such a good blend of traditional MMO play and Elder Scrolls play. If you completely expect one or the other then you are going to be disappointed. For once in an mmorpg I am just playing to adventure and learn about as much lore as I can. I hardly even look at what level I am. Feels less like a job or a chore to quest and more like an adventure.… Expand
  27. MrMT
    Apr 15, 2014
    9
    This is the best new MMO to come along for some time. The skill system is excellently flexible, allowing a great range of playstyles with each of the 4 core classes. The world is enjoyable to explore and quest in, the crafting works well, the combat is meaty and satisfying. I would say this is a pip above Guild Wars 2 at this stage; we'll have to see how it feels in a couple of months.
  28. AstroCat
    Apr 8, 2014
    9
    The game is super fun so far, having a blast. I see playing this one for a long time.

    The subscription fee is refreshing, encourages positive development and discourages undesired players and buy to win schemes. The graphics are gorgeous and the art style right on perfect. The character development is really deep and very flexible. The quests and story are totally interesting and the    The game is super fun so far, having a blast. I see playing this one for a long time.

    The subscription fee is refreshing, encourages positive development and discourages undesired players and buy to win schemes. The graphics are gorgeous and the art style right on perfect. The character development is really deep and very flexible. The quests and story are totally interesting and the game really encourages exploration. It's the best mmoRPG I've played to date by far.

    There are some bugs, which can creep up but for an mmoRPG launch this is the smoothest I've ever encountered and I've seen a lot, going all the back to NWN, UO, etc..

    Importantly, of course some people are not going to like it, that's awesome in my book because if they did I probably wouldn't, plenty of other MMOs for their kind. If you don't like it, or just want to be "hipster hater trash" then I suggest moving on, because the game is solid and gonna disappoint you in your need to hate to feel good about yourself. ;)    … Expand
  29. epoc
    Apr 13, 2014
    8
    I have been looking forward to this game for ages! Sure as an Elder Scrolls Fan I should have been concerned that it was an MMO, but I still had hope. And oh boy has it paid off! While the graphics are a step backwards from Skyrim, Online makes up for that in sheer size! For the first time in 20 years we can finally explore all of Tamriel, a world so rich and detailed that it needed this.I have been looking forward to this game for ages! Sure as an Elder Scrolls Fan I should have been concerned that it was an MMO, but I still had hope. And oh boy has it paid off! While the graphics are a step backwards from Skyrim, Online makes up for that in sheer size! For the first time in 20 years we can finally explore all of Tamriel, a world so rich and detailed that it needed this. And for all those saying its just a World of Warcraft clone well you're wrong! Online has a fleshed out combat system, excellent progression system, and the dynamic quests that made Skyrim a joy to play. One minute you'll be heading to your next PvP event, when suddenly you're approached by an Argonian warrior, promising a reward if you can find his lost family relic. And yes you read that correctly - PvP! ITS AWESOME! Thousands of players going up against each other in an epic siege battle nether gets old. But the games greatest strength is how ( like Skyrim) is that everything is interesting. The armour, the quests, the locations and many more. In addition to this, comparing city's and locations in this game from others is an absolute blast! However the game is held back by bugs, and some ridiculous pay walls from Bethesda. Like paying to be an Imperial? WTF? Despite this, this game is top quality, and one I recommend to everyone.… Expand
  30. Izzy_C
    Apr 8, 2014
    9
    This game has definitely lived up to the hype surrounding it. As an avid World of Warcraft addict I had been worried about major similatarities between the two, but ESO has proved to be one of the best MMO's I have ever played. I enjoyed Skyrim but this game is such an improvement - the combat is the best I've seen, the character creation is more in dept, but this games best factor is theThis game has definitely lived up to the hype surrounding it. As an avid World of Warcraft addict I had been worried about major similatarities between the two, but ESO has proved to be one of the best MMO's I have ever played. I enjoyed Skyrim but this game is such an improvement - the combat is the best I've seen, the character creation is more in dept, but this games best factor is the superb voice acting. Skyrim and WoW felt as if ten people voiced the entire cast of characters, it may not bother some people but it bores me. ESO is worth buying, even though it's pricey. It's also dangerously addictive...… Expand
  31. inoxcopia
    Apr 6, 2014
    9
    I could write many things about this game, but i don't want to over-analyze things. The most striking thing about ESO is the leveling experience and feeling. It's by far the best if have seen/felt in a mmo and this opinion comes from a person that is playing GW2 and WoW and has also played Star Wars the old Republic and Rift. I also want to mention that i really pushed myself really hard,I could write many things about this game, but i don't want to over-analyze things. The most striking thing about ESO is the leveling experience and feeling. It's by far the best if have seen/felt in a mmo and this opinion comes from a person that is playing GW2 and WoW and has also played Star Wars the old Republic and Rift. I also want to mention that i really pushed myself really hard, to level 2 characters in beta weekends in Wild Star and almost died from boredom. One final thing, Skyrim is one my favourite
    single player games.

    You will read very disappointing reviews/opinions about ESO, the funny thing is that most negative reviews are not from persons that are currently playing the game(!). I have read reviews from persons that have tried this game only in very early beta. I have read reviews from persons that gave this game 0/10 just because is not F2P and i have read reviews from persons that never ever played another mmo, but have the gall to give negative score to ESO only from the videos they have seen in YouTube(!)

    My advice, read carefully reviews and pay zero attention to those that come from people that didn't even scratch the magic of this game.    … Expand
  32. Pickle-Tickler
    Apr 26, 2014
    8
    This game is neither amazing, nor terrible. It is decent. If you are a hardcore elder scrolls fan looking to get into MMO's, give it a shot. If you are a hardcore MMO fan (WoW player) don't bother. The money that Zenimax want you to pay to play this game is absurd. If you want someone to pay 80 bucks for the game then a $15/month subscription fee, the game has to be better than any otherThis game is neither amazing, nor terrible. It is decent. If you are a hardcore elder scrolls fan looking to get into MMO's, give it a shot. If you are a hardcore MMO fan (WoW player) don't bother. The money that Zenimax want you to pay to play this game is absurd. If you want someone to pay 80 bucks for the game then a $15/month subscription fee, the game has to be better than any other MMO on the market, and the bottom line is, it isn't. When they eventually drop the subscription fee in the future, DEFINITELY pick this game up, so much content and fun to be had in the game. PvP is arguably the strongest aspect of the game, but if you are really into the Elder Scrolls lore, the PvE in this game is made for you. Taking price out of the equation, 8 is my score. If I would rate in the current price for the game, it would be a 6.… Expand
  33. Glyxhormon
    Apr 27, 2014
    10
    Das Spiel ist vor knapp drei Wochen erschienen.
    Ich verstehe den ganzen Ärger der Spieler nicht. Es macht sehr viel Spaß, ich spiele teilweise vier oder mehrere Stunden am Tag. Es ist eindeutig das bessere Skyrim.
    Ich bin 26 Jahre alt, meine Freundin und ich spielen es gemeinsam. Es sind zwar nach wie vor Fehler im Spiel, das ist wahr. sie arbeiten bereits an den Problemen. Aber man    Das Spiel ist vor knapp drei Wochen erschienen.
    Ich verstehe den ganzen Ärger der Spieler nicht. Es macht sehr viel Spaß, ich spiele teilweise vier oder mehrere Stunden am Tag. Es ist eindeutig das bessere Skyrim.
    Ich bin 26 Jahre alt, meine Freundin und ich spielen es gemeinsam.

    Es sind zwar nach wie vor Fehler im Spiel, das ist wahr. sie arbeiten bereits an den Problemen.
    Aber man muss den Entwicklern eine Chance geben, sie geben sich große Mühe.
    Allgemein, welches Computerspiel hatte nach der Neuerscheinung noch keine Fehler?    … Expand
  34. Wolfport
    Apr 16, 2014
    9
    This is the first MMO in recent years that seems specifically targeted for a gamer like me. I love The Elder Scrolls games and I also enjoy MMOs. I also feel like the RPG component is missing in most MMOs these days. Elder Scrolls Online provides an incredibly immersive experience with its beautiful visuals and artwork. The musical score is fantastic and I very much enjoy the level ofThis is the first MMO in recent years that seems specifically targeted for a gamer like me. I love The Elder Scrolls games and I also enjoy MMOs. I also feel like the RPG component is missing in most MMOs these days. Elder Scrolls Online provides an incredibly immersive experience with its beautiful visuals and artwork. The musical score is fantastic and I very much enjoy the level of detail put into this world. It is so beautifully crafted.

    In most MMOs it's common to skip the quest dialogue and rush ahead. One can truly savor this game by listening to the NPCs and following their stories. I have fallen in love with the lore of this game and players do get to make choices within quests that can change the outcome of events and NPCs may remember your choices and interact with you differently.

    Though there are only 4 classes to choose from, one can make any of the four classes a healer, a damage dealer or a tank. There are a tremendous amount of skill lines a player can pick and choose from and this already rich system will just become richer when future guild skill lines are added such as from the Thieves Guild and the Dark Brotherhood Guild.

    Usually I can take or leave crafting in an MMO, though I am finding crafting in ESO to be very enjoyable. As someone who is actively crafting in the game, there is a lack of storage space for crafting materials and players who craft will spend an inordinate amount of time dealing with managing their inventory. For this reason I am deducting a point from the score.

    For those who enjoy some Player Versus Player action, there is Cyrodiil. It's a vast area where a player can also do PvE, complete quests and explore. It is optional to enter Cyrodiil and no one is forced to if they don't enjoy fighting other players. I have had a blast in my time in Cyrodiil so far.

    For me this game has a great deal of longevity and so far the community is very good.    … Expand
  35. Gabriellogan
    Apr 20, 2014
    9
    For starters this game is worth playing. I have been an avid PC computer gamer for 20+ years, played every MMO under the sun and played all the Elder Scrolls games.

    There are bugs and some are rather annoying but you can get over/around them 99% of the time. As I have seen written in another review " This game is not for everyone" I agree you really have to be a fan of TES and MMOs to    For starters this game is worth playing. I have been an avid PC computer gamer for 20+ years, played every MMO under the sun and played all the Elder Scrolls games.

    There are bugs and some are rather annoying but you can get over/around them 99% of the time.
    As I have seen written in another review " This game is not for everyone" I agree you really have to be a fan of TES and MMOs to get the most out of this game.

    As for a lot of people in the negative reviews I have just read, all I can see if people saying that it is too hard? seriously? I say make games harder give me a challenge I do not want to be spoon fed. I set myself challenges all the way through I would try to keep quests and enemies at least 3-5 levels higher than me, did I have a problem killing them or bosses solo? No not at all. I hate to be saying this but the people who are finding the game too hard perhaps you are not that good a gamer?

    Yes some quests are bugged and don't get me wrong it really annoys me that sometimes they are broken but there is so much content within the game that it really does not break the game, at least not for me.

    This voice acting in the main quest chains is great and I found myself really paying attention and taking in all the story, as I said before you need to be a Elder Scrolls fan and a fan of the lore.

    To another point the pvp is amazing fun from level 10 onwards you can join the war and you will be scaled up so you are not just a useless low level.

    The way the crafting system works is a real breath of fresh air, yeah it copies a few other systems from different games but it has enough of its own charm to really endear me to it.

    As for the lack of diversity in builds or how you form your class to your own playing style there is not much limitation at all, the only limitation you get is if you choose one class you get one set of three skill lines designed for your class but you have all weapon skill lines open to you, all NPC guild/faction skill lines open to you and goodness know how many combinations you can make to form what your perfect tool set is, ALSO you can at level 15 have two sets of weapons equip and you get another active skill bar for that weapon set, so your primary weapons and skill are exactly that, your primary, but the second set can be a "utility belt" idea so as far as not having enough active skill 10 is enough for me plus two ultimates.

    As for the quests being the "same old hat" I would say to the people saying that, you have obviously not explored the game I have found some hilarious quests and some really cool ones.

    To sum up this game is worth it and remember as with any MMO it IS the community you play with/against that marks a great MMO.    … Expand
  36. Joryn282
    Apr 7, 2014
    9
    This game, I like it. I played the beta and it made me want to buy this game. It's fun, gives you enough Elder Scrolls to be satisfying, but enough new things to remain interesting. The character models look better in my opinion than the models in Oblivion and Skyrim, and the environments look pretty good. I look forward to seeing what they do next with this game.
  37. windmillent
    Apr 7, 2014
    9
    There is so much to do, craft, and explore. The graphics are wonderful and doesn't look like Pixar or Disney, the armor is realistic and not silly looking and over-sized. The crafting system is simple, yet complicated and interesting to work with, it even takes the trait learning (offline leveling) from EVE, which adds even more flavor. There are quests everywhere, you just have to getThere is so much to do, craft, and explore. The graphics are wonderful and doesn't look like Pixar or Disney, the armor is realistic and not silly looking and over-sized. The crafting system is simple, yet complicated and interesting to work with, it even takes the trait learning (offline leveling) from EVE, which adds even more flavor. There are quests everywhere, you just have to get out and explore to find them, its a remarkably open world feel on the mainland. I started in beta in November and the game did not interest me at all; however, as the beta's trudged along the game improved dramatically. It is deep in lore, the megaserver means your never alone, the PVP is like nothing I have played in years, truly spectacular, even if your not a hardcore PVP'r. The dungeon mechanics are very fun and easy to learn. The skill tree is just complicated enough to make it feel like your choices really count and that your character is unique to you. I think with the modern MMO, ESO has stuck a very good balance. The launch went remarkably smooth; although, some of our guild did find bugged quests, there were work-arounds and they were quickly addressed by Zenimax. One recommendation I would make is to do your homework for this MMO, there is over 20 years of lore behind its story, and when I came into it and started playing I knew very little. This made the game very boring and confusing (for instance some characters call a race a dark-elf, another person might call them a dunmer, and there are 10 races), it doesn't hold your hand or tell tons of back-story. ESO expects you to know the races and their history already; however, I spent some time watching You-tube lore videos (which there are some excellent quality ones available) and suddenly the world made since and the game had much more depth. This is a game where the story matters and really helps the player to feel engaged in the world. If your wanting a fresh take on the MMO genre then give ESO a chance, it just might surprise you and give you an MMO home for years to come.… Expand
  38. tagos
    Apr 8, 2014
    8
    This game almost deserves 10. Stick with me while I knock off 2 points.

    This is clearly a game released 'ready or not' on a marketing schedule. There are ongoing issues that leave some players (like me) virtually untouched while hitting others hard. These issues are being continually addressed but even so - not good enough. Unfortunately Customer Service ranges from at best,    This game almost deserves 10. Stick with me while I knock off 2 points.

    This is clearly a game released 'ready or not' on a marketing schedule. There are ongoing issues that leave some players (like me) virtually untouched while hitting others hard. These issues are being continually addressed but even so - not good enough.

    Unfortunately Customer Service ranges from at best, indifferent through to actively malevolent in the case of the scheduling of the regular EU maintenance for Sunday morning.

    'Our convenience, not the customer' appears to be their motto. Not good enough if you want people to buy into a premium price game with a monthly sub.

    And now I'm going to tell you why I immediately took out the longest (180 day) sub I could. The reason is actually very simple. This is the best MMO I have played in a number of years.

    LOTRO, Star Wars, Guild Wars, Rift and Conan? None come close.

    What makes it so good?

    First - the setting. It's Elder Scrolls. It's Tamriel bought to life. You are in a setting with a depth that shows in the books you find, the look and feel of the regions. the background chatter. The graphics are top notch and very 'Skyrim'. Not seen better in any MMO.

    Second - the questing. Quest chains are constantly engaging. They all have a real purpose and are disparate threads that weave together into an overarching story line. No 'go kill 7 wolves' or 'go gather 8 bits of wood' because basically 'I'm a lazy-ass NPC who can't be bothered' nonsense.

    Plus - it's all voice acted. Not by the usual 'will recite dialogue for food' in off the street bilge. We're talking Michael Gambon and we're talking John Cleese. We're talking real professionals at every turn. The story quality and story-telling is basically first class in every respect.

    Third - and this is the big one. This is what makes this game so good. This is what will have you creating different characters and thinking carefully about your options. I'm talking the character development and progression system, which is as close an implementation of the traditional Elder Scrolls 'build the character you want' as you could get in an MMO.

    It begins with choosing a Race. These have different bonuses but aren't of crucial importance. You them choose one of the 4 classes. Classes each have their own skill lines but are just a starting point on which to build the kind of character that suits you. More on this later.

    You get 3 basic stats -Health, Stamina and Magika. The latter 2 are the resources that power skills. You get points to allocate from levelling and from completing some quest lines.

    These interact with Weapon, Armour, Guild, Race, and Alliance skill lines.

    How you spend the character points you get from levelling, questing and discovering 'skyshards' is what really shapes your character. In other games if you want to tank and be the melee guy you would pick the Dragon Knight ESO class, throw on heavy armour and shove a sword in his hand.

    Not in ESO. You want to be a Sorcerer and be able to tank? Throw on heavy armour, pick up a big sword, develop your healing and shielding skill - maybe learn to summon a big-ass Storm Elemental to take some heat and off you go.

    The freedom is incredible. One of my characters is a Dragon Knight. These are basically tanks with a way with fire. But I'm old and slow. I don't like tanking but I do like some of their cool skills. So - put him in light armour, specialise in fire staff magic, choose a range of supporting skills and you have a Pyromancer Battle Mage. Fantastic. That's just one example and I cannot emphasise enough how great this system is.

    I was going to bang on about the in-depth crafting system but this is going on too long. But I will tell you about the combat.

    This is an action based combat system. You pick 5 of your skills (driven by stamina and magika and which can be morphed into a choice of enhanced version with skill points) for an action bar (and a 6th Ultimate Super Skill). At level 15 when you get to swap weapons in combat this is 12 skills. It sounds limited but it is not. It enables you to develop routines and tactics to suit yourself. I'm a bit old and slow so I like to keep the dodging and rolling to a minimum. I can build for that. You can build for your own strengths and weaknesses.

    Finally I'm giving a big shout-out for the PvP. There is a whole Province where Alliances can wage war (no PvP outside of it). There are Keeps to attack and defend, dungeons to explore and siege engines to hurt people and smash stuff with. It is incredible and I'm saying this as an inveterate non-PvP type.

    Way too long story short. If you are an Elder Scrolls fan or a fantasy MMO player you can buy this game with absolute confidence you will have a lot of fun.

    Bugs are temporary, class is permanent. This is going to be a 5 Star game soon.    … Expand
  39. Whifflebat
    Apr 6, 2014
    10
    This game is absolutely incredible. End of story. Leveling is a PLEASURE, with very immersive quests, and an engrossing storyline. And thats just the PVE. The PVP is a massive continually changing battlefield. This game is so well executed its insane, I'm completely converted from a WoW fan to ESO.
  40. CasualClark
    Apr 13, 2014
    10
    ESO is an excellent MMO and frankly a much better game than I thought it would be. I've grown weary of all the negative complaints that the game should be Free to Play or that it isn't innovative enough. What hasn't occurred to people is that they continue to compare the game to Skyrim and the earlier Elder Scroll games in terms of innovation and being more wide open, sandboxESO is an excellent MMO and frankly a much better game than I thought it would be. I've grown weary of all the negative complaints that the game should be Free to Play or that it isn't innovative enough. What hasn't occurred to people is that they continue to compare the game to Skyrim and the earlier Elder Scroll games in terms of innovation and being more wide open, sandbox experiences, but somehow forget that MMOs and Single Player games are very different implementations, the MMO having a much higher level of complexity.

    There is NO other MMO like this, and I'm having a blast with it. You can compare the AvA to Guild Wars 2, and in general, the concepts are similar. But ESO's AvA has a context in the overall ESO universe, reinforces the Elder Scrolls lore, and is absolutely massive in scope. The environments are far more detailed and immersive than any MMO I've played. Crafting has a lot of depth and doesn't force you to spend hours leveling your craft just to make gear for your players level. The soundtrack is epic, and for the most part, voice over work is quite good.

    Point is, people set the bar so high for ESO in expectations, yet even they didn't know how Elder Scroll would be turned into an MMO. In this case, the developers have made a lot of great decisions, and like most MMOs, they will continue to refine and improve it in the future. So I am very excited about ESO, much more so than after my hours in beta. Don't let the negative reviews keep you from trying this game - there are things that can be improved, but seriously, this is a fantastic game.    … Expand
  41. TripleBullet
    Apr 5, 2014
    10
    Im not going to do some in depth review. I will just tell you from what i've played and how much i love it. After putting over a day in this game so far as in 24+ hours it just blows my mind. If you pay attention to the dialog and actually follow along the quest it feels like TES. Every quest has a small story to be told with interesting dialog and at times choices. Which is awesome. TheIm not going to do some in depth review. I will just tell you from what i've played and how much i love it. After putting over a day in this game so far as in 24+ hours it just blows my mind. If you pay attention to the dialog and actually follow along the quest it feels like TES. Every quest has a small story to be told with interesting dialog and at times choices. Which is awesome. The combat is very nice. Although the melee still needs a little work in 1st person everything else is enjoyable. I'm a healer dps and dungeons are fun and very challenging, at least for your average group. There is much to adore in this game. My hopes are that the end game will hold up well. For now, the PvP is amazing! Much better than GW2. I love the game, totally recommend it!… Expand
  42. Mavik
    Apr 6, 2014
    10
    I was pleasantly surprised by this game, it manages to keep the exploration elements from the single player series while mixing the social aspects from other MMOs. The RvR combat is the best I've seen since DAoC. One of the first MMOs that I feel has broken away from the "static themepark" feel that's been so obvious in this genre since WoW came out.
  43. Mach1av3ll1
    Apr 12, 2014
    9
    tl;dr Give it time. It will grow on you like a cancer. But a lovely cancer. Not one of those bad ones.

    I made this review specifically to address a lot of the negative reviews on this game, as well as to balance out some of the overly positive one. I think there is enough coverage on the nitty gritty details of this game, so I want to look at it from a more meta perspective. This review    tl;dr Give it time. It will grow on you like a cancer. But a lovely cancer. Not one of those bad ones.

    I made this review specifically to address a lot of the negative reviews on this game, as well as to balance out some of the overly positive one. I think there is enough coverage on the nitty gritty details of this game, so I want to look at it from a more meta perspective. This review will be in three parts, to address those who are looking for a new elder scrolls game, those looking for a WoW successor, and the pace of the game. Be forewarned, if you are looking for a new, traditionally rooted, elder scrolls game, or a successor to WoW, and will not be satisfied if this game meets these criteria perfectly, this game is not for you.

    1) Those looking for a new elder scrolls game.

    A lot of the individuals who post negative reviews claim how traditionally MMO it is, and how it fails to live up to the elder scrolls standard. My initial reaction to this game was somewhat similar. At first glance, it is so incredibly not an elder scrolls game.Early on, you will often feel yourself clamped into certain paths, limited in a degree you are not comfortable with. The key to overcoming this is to let yourself feel comfortable with the fact that you could never pull off an elder scrolls game in an MMO environment. Elder Scrolls' experience is, at it's core, rooted in the way the player interacts with and changes the world. It is the space, and opportunities that lay waiting just for you. When you introduce other players into that environment, it's not feasible to expect it to flow in the way that elder scrolls does. It would leave you waiting for things to spawn, unhappy with the pace, frustrated with the concentration of players in different regions, and the server side requirements of instancing that much **** would be crippling in expense.

    2) It's not WoW

    If you treat this game like WoW, you will be sorely disappointed. So much of the game is left to you. The skills, crafting, and leveling systems are so much more open than the traditional mmo you will repeatedly be left feeling overwhelmed and confused, which is a frustrating experience for an MMO player. A big appeal, and a big part of the expense, is their attempts to create interesting story lines and quests that specifically aren't tedious. Failing to read these quests, which is easy to do, will make the experience feel incredibly hollow.

    From a meta perspective, this game is really awful in the first 10-15 hours of gameplay. I dont mean that it's actually awful, but the fact of the matter is that you will come into this game with expectations of MMOs, expectations of the Elder Scrolls, and you will dislike how it differs. You will feel simultaneously overwhelmed and uninterested in the world around you. You will view your gaming experience like a giant pile of bureaucratic paperwork, hoping that a raise lies at the end of it. This game does not hook you in right away.

    The first moment I suddenly felt any sense besides tedium was as I began to PvP. Entering cyrodiil, warping to a combat zone, and suddenly being involved in a gigantic siege was phenomenal. I died a lot. But I also saw trebuchets, walls falling, battering rams, and hundreds of players on each side. You feel part of something, and the size of this something is staggering.

    The value of the game comes as you invest in it. The more time you invest, the more chance you give to the story, and what becomes something you skip through instead becomes something you read. Suddenly you'll be faced with making decisions of moral ambiguity, and you'll have invested in the lives of this village, and their fate is in your hands. You begin to feel purpose.

    A similar experience happens with the crafting and leveling systems. The flexibility in these systems is incredibly overwhelming, and it's poorly explained. But as you carry on, you'll begin to find synergies, and where before you had an idea you were treating with casual disinterest, you'll suddenly be going on a 5 minute tirade of the strength of synergies in 2h tree with templar's Aedric Wrath tree.

    Most games these days don't ask anything of you. They do their best to suck you in, and try to put out long enough for you to not get bored. From the get go, it's a sense of "This is how you do it, now look, explosions!" ESO Does not do that. ESO asks things from you. It asks you to learn, and it asks for your patience. And if you give it these two things, you'll begin to uncover the incredibly rewarding game that lies underneath. So, I implore you, give it time. Get to the 20th hour. The feeling of surprise when you realize you care, you want to see more, you want to know more, and you want some more money to afford a goddamn respec, is incredibly rewarding.

    Thank you for taking the time to read the musing of a rambling old man.

    Love,
    Mach1av3ll1.    … Expand
  44. polyandras
    Apr 12, 2014
    10
    One of the best and unique mmos i have played so far. Their idea of mixing a single player game with the mmo genre made questing look like never before and leveling up the most entertaining point. Not to mention the pvp. All these added with the amazing scenery makes it really incredible. Also if you are a lotr fan you gonna love it.
  45. frankwithbeans
    Apr 5, 2014
    9
    I find it quite humorous that you don't have to verify that you own the game before writing a critique hence trolls giving it the bad scores, this is a great game with lots of varieties in equipment, quests, enemies and locations and it defenitivly deserves a high score. best game 2014 so far
  46. redfrick
    Apr 7, 2014
    9
    Finally! I’ve been waiting for a true successor to World Of Warcraft for a very long time. Now when I say a successor don’t get your panties in a bunch, I am merely speaking for me personally. Nothing will ever kill WoW except Blizzard themselves. The term “WoW Killer” should just go off and die already. For me Elder Scrolls Online feels a lot like the game that finally gets me offFinally! I’ve been waiting for a true successor to World Of Warcraft for a very long time. Now when I say a successor don’t get your panties in a bunch, I am merely speaking for me personally. Nothing will ever kill WoW except Blizzard themselves. The term “WoW Killer” should just go off and die already. For me Elder Scrolls Online feels a lot like the game that finally gets me off the WoW drug once and for all. Though I am a realist and I have been on the new MMO train many times before so I won’t really know for a few months. But man, right now nothing compares to ESO. The last time I had this much fun in an MMO was the beast itself, WoW.

    The graphics are great; the questing is fun and not your typical MMO drudgery. The crafting system is deep, incredibly fun and get this, actually useful. I also love the fact that I can be a mage tank or a warrior healer if I really want to. Tired of being melee and want to pick up a bow? Do it! Want to wear plate as a caster? Do it! The possibilities are amazing. And PVP, one word: epic.

    To make it short and sweet this game is the best MMO I’ve played since I first played WoW almost 10 years ago. It’s just fun. Plain and simple this game is incredibly fun.

    One last word on people complaining about there being a subscription fee: I’ve played almost every single major MMO that has been released in the past 10+ years and have not found a single free to play game that is anywhere near as good as subscription games. I am talking about true MMOs. Every free to play MMO I’ve ever played is so limiting in content at the free level it’s not worth even playing. As a matter of fact when I do play those games I end up paying a lot more than $15. You get what you pay for.    … Expand
  47. basadd
    Apr 9, 2014
    8
    fun, fresh implementation of online RPG genre. average level of bugs and other problems standard for this type of game. has potential for future staying power, given rich source material.
  48. SoakingFall42
    Apr 8, 2014
    9
    This game is very fun. As a hardcore tes fan an someone who barely plays mmo games, I was expecting to be disappointed. Much to my suprise, I was not. I still purchased the game because of how much I love the series, and I am glad I did. While it does have it's fair share of bug, and is not "Skyrim Online" it still is worth a try. If you do not like the limited interface I have two thingsThis game is very fun. As a hardcore tes fan an someone who barely plays mmo games, I was expecting to be disappointed. Much to my suprise, I was not. I still purchased the game because of how much I love the series, and I am glad I did. While it does have it's fair share of bug, and is not "Skyrim Online" it still is worth a try. If you do not like the limited interface I have two things to say to you.
    1. Elder scrolls games have always had little interface for immersion purposes.
    2. If you want more ui info try a add on like foundry tactical combat.    … Expand
  49. Congo1977
    Apr 14, 2014
    10
    I would not go as far to say a "breakthrough" game, but this game has a LOT of potential. It is both engaging and detailed. I can not compare it to Skyrim, as this is an MMO. But as far as an MMO goes, as close to it as you can get. I find the story enthralling, and can not wait to try the other factions. This is by far the most exciting game in a while.

    My Pro's: Great Story Love the    I would not go as far to say a "breakthrough" game, but this game has a LOT of potential. It is both engaging and detailed. I can not compare it to Skyrim, as this is an MMO. But as far as an MMO goes, as close to it as you can get. I find the story enthralling, and can not wait to try the other factions. This is by far the most exciting game in a while.

    My Pro's:
    Great Story
    Love the mount customizing!
    Realistic world
    Gaming mechanics blend into the background!
    Realistic NPC's
    CUSTOMIZATION of character!!! (Awesome, being a mage fighting with a sword in the thick of battle!)

    My Cons:
    No player housing. (This is Elder Scrolls after all!)
    No dedicated "healer" class. (I know you can make one, but to leave them out of the start?)

    All in all, great game! I am sure, so long as they maintain the game, I will continue to play.    … Expand
  50. Squicker
    Apr 14, 2014
    8
    I've played all the Elder Scrolls games since Arena and I am loving Elder Scrolls Online. There is no doubt in my mind that ZOS have managed the difficult task of keeping the unique TES vibe and putting it into an MMO. The single player quests are excellent and interesting, I've never felt like grinding at all, and the multiplayer dungeons are lots of fun. I can't really fault the gameI've played all the Elder Scrolls games since Arena and I am loving Elder Scrolls Online. There is no doubt in my mind that ZOS have managed the difficult task of keeping the unique TES vibe and putting it into an MMO. The single player quests are excellent and interesting, I've never felt like grinding at all, and the multiplayer dungeons are lots of fun. I can't really fault the game design or the playability, it's really superb.

    There are issues at the moment with release bugs and support were initially very poor at responding to these. However, over the last few days they seem to be getting on top of things and I am starting to have a lot more faith in the support of the game. I personally have only experienced a small array of non-critical bugs, but I am still only going to subscribe month by month, until my confidence level in support increases. I get the feeling they are a bit overwhelmed right now.

    But as a game, this really is an excellent addition to the franchise.    … Expand
  51. Jonhuggs
    Apr 12, 2014
    8
    So after much debate I decided to take the plunge and purchase TESO. I've played MMO's in the past (Dark age of camelot, GW, GW2 Warhammer and WOW to name a few) and also The last 3 Elder scrolls games. With that being said this game is pretty solid. The combat will be the 1st difference you'll notice from Skyrim, it's more in line with other MMo's. The world an the other hand is all ElderSo after much debate I decided to take the plunge and purchase TESO. I've played MMO's in the past (Dark age of camelot, GW, GW2 Warhammer and WOW to name a few) and also The last 3 Elder scrolls games. With that being said this game is pretty solid. The combat will be the 1st difference you'll notice from Skyrim, it's more in line with other MMo's. The world an the other hand is all Elder Scrolls and if you spent any time in Morrowind, Oblivion or Skyrim, which I'm sure we all have 1000's of hours tied up into those, you'll be familiar with the looks and sounds of the game. One of the strong points of the game is that the game will feel natural weather your going solo or in a group. So if you like world of warcraft and skyrim then you'll probably love this game, If you're looking for skyrim 2 or never really liked mmo's, you may be dissapointed in this game and with a steep initial cost plus the monthly fee may want to wait till they have a trial before you throw your hard earned money at this game.… Expand
  52. Echo-Legion
    Apr 7, 2014
    9
    This game is better than I thought it would be. While the bar that I had set for it was not very high, it sailed over it in the first couple hours lit it wasnt even the warmup lap yet. just getting its shoes slipped on and buttoning up its track pants.

    I started with the assumption that i was only going to play because my friends were playing and never play when they werent and then the    This game is better than I thought it would be. While the bar that I had set for it was not very high, it sailed over it in the first couple hours lit it wasnt even the warmup lap yet. just getting its shoes slipped on and buttoning up its track pants.

    I started with the assumption that i was only going to play because my friends were playing and never play when they werent and then the game would die off in a month or so like all the other mmos ive played the past couple of years. I have not played a single video game for an entire weekend since WoW came out.... forever ago. and This weekend; this grown ass man, with a day job, a girlfriend, a job, and 3 time consuming hobbies set everything aside this weekend and just let this game consume me.

    the only thing i can compare the newness and wonder to is vanilla wow. do you remember back then. when things were new and the systems that we have in place today werent even imagined yet. like duty finders? and crafting your own weapons at the lower levels wasnt utterly useless? remember when the story mattered? no? oh wait... the story doesnt matter in wow? oh ... shoot.. you're totally right.

    thats what this is like, but so much more. i truly believe that this is the mmo for me (for the next couple years as long as they keep updating it) to find out if its the mmo for you i think you have to play it. because to be completely honest i thought i was going to hate it. i even dogged on it. but after i played up to level 10 and was a part of an epic pvp battle I knew there was no going back to FFXIV (my previous mmo home away from home)

    you truly have to play it to form an opinion, but i believe you will be entertained for a while at the very least.    … Expand
  53. toxic20
    Apr 11, 2014
    10
    I had been pretty bored of the MMO genre. Been waiting for this game and didn't read much of it so it would be a surprise. I am really happy with my purchase. It's exactly what you would expect an Elder Scrolls MMO to be. The character creation is really detailed, the voiceovers are great, the quests are really well written and have a lot of diversity. Been playing since launch and I haveI had been pretty bored of the MMO genre. Been waiting for this game and didn't read much of it so it would be a surprise. I am really happy with my purchase. It's exactly what you would expect an Elder Scrolls MMO to be. The character creation is really detailed, the voiceovers are great, the quests are really well written and have a lot of diversity. Been playing since launch and I have no complaints.… Expand
  54. ladyjayblue
    May 29, 2014
    8
    I want to express that I am writing this game review from the point of view of a long time player of MMORPGs. I have played everything from UO on up, and I want to assure readers looking for a genuine assessment of the game that the reviews here are generally unreliable. Common sense should make you question straight 10s just as it should make you question so many zeros.

    More    I want to express that I am writing this game review from the point of view of a long time player of MMORPGs. I have played everything from UO on up, and I want to assure readers looking for a genuine assessment of the game that the reviews here are generally unreliable. Common sense should make you question straight 10s just as it should make you question so many zeros.

    More importantly, I believe that the outcry that has generated the bad reviews of '0" are due to people comparing it to the elder scrolls single player games. I have not played any of the previous elder scrolls games and could not for the life of me make sense of why anyone would compare a massive multiplayer to any single player game when the level of depth, immersion, and functionality are so radically different. Get over it and rate the game for what it is; it is not Skyrim. For the individuals who would mourn this, my suggestion is to play what you like; there are plenty of Elder Scroll games available for single players. ESO was created as a multiplayer game. I have my own love of single player rpgs, Bioware classics being some of my favorites, but it would be unfair to compare a game like Baldur's Gate or even Knights of the Old Republic to games intended for years of play time that largely depend upon social interaction.

    I have played UO, Dark Age of Camelot, EQ1, EQ2, Star Wars Galaxies, SWTOR, and WOW and Guild Wars 2. In my experience, ESO compares to the likes of Dark Age in terms of the rvr type pvp, yet its sense of exploration reminds me of Ultima or at least the older generation of games from which Ultima emerged. As of late, with my subscription to wow still available for renewal, and an active subscription to Final Fantasy 14, I have to give my vote to ESO for being the most entertaining and the most addicting in terms of keeping me glued to the keyboard.

    This does not mean that the game does not have some issues that need to be resolved; many of these have already been acknowledged and I foresee them being addressed in future patches. The most significant of these revolves around group play in pve. For example, I consistently quest with a partner; we are a duo. If you advance through the quest line alone, your partner may not be able to be seen in the quest instance due to phasing. Again, this has been acknowledged and I look forward to the coming changes, but until then, I simply stay aware of this issue and adjust my questing to be in sync with my friend.

    On a good note, the vistas are simply beautiful when you set your draw distance to far. The terrain and the skyline in the distance really make you want to go out and adventure, and indeed, I have been out wandering for hours while I run around finding treasure chests, different story lines, and collecting resources. I experienced this sensation in early WOW only momentarily, before the expansions, but I do remember that call of the wild in early games such as the original EQ.

    Additionally, the combat is incredibly fun considering the need to move, dodge, and stay active when fighting foes. This is a huge, huge contrast to games that largely have you standing in one place and roll the dice to determine whether you block or dodge.

    If you are like me, you need to have a game that serves as an outlet for stress and the hustle and bustle of work. For me, ESO has become the next in line to serve this purpose. I am satisfied with roving the hills or inundating myself in the crafting systems, which have a lot of depth and are quite fun to level.

    Of the high points, the liberty to sculpt your character's skills as you see fit is truly refreshing, particularly after coming from World of Warcraft where, over time, the choices in skill trees became fewer and fewer until it was so dumbed down that it lacked any significance at all. Here in ESO, you create a character, and tailor its weapon skills, class skills, crafting skills, guild only skills, and racial skills how you see fit. The truth is that the variety in character builds has the potential to be enormous without the fear that you will not be able to compete if you do not use any one particular cookie cutter build.

    Alternately, the opening tutorial is one of the worst I've seen in all my gaming days; it would be an understatement for me to say that you must get past that and into the meat of the game to truly appreciate what it has to offer.

    These are my thoughts as a long time mmorpg player. As a rhetorician by profession, I would suggest you consider the agendas that might hide behind ridiculous scores like perfect 10s or complete 0s. It's a rarity to find a game that is completely perfect or that incredibly horrendous.    … Expand
  55. spazzkidd3
    Apr 9, 2014
    10
    Elder Scrolls Online is most likely the best MMORPG to be released in a long time.

    This game is content rich, and makes you want to keep playing to finish the stories you've started while questing. Now if you want to get the full experience out of this game playing levels 1-50 then Veteran Rank 1 - 10 then you have to take it slow the developers made this game with everyone in mind    Elder Scrolls Online is most likely the best MMORPG to be released in a long time.

    This game is content rich, and makes you want to keep playing to finish the stories you've started while questing.

    Now if you want to get the full experience out of this game playing levels 1-50 then Veteran Rank 1 - 10 then you have to take it slow the developers made this game with everyone in mind they crafted these stories to give everyone entertainment. whether that be finishing a dungeon or even running down a road to have a random person stop you and ask for help in the nearby village.

    I love the compass, action bar and attribute bars. The HUD UI is great and it fades away when not in use to give you a more immersive feel to the game. You can play in both Third and First person. So anyone will be able to play the way they would like.

    PVP - 10/10 (AMAZING)

    PVE - 8/10 (Can get repetitive but thats only if you speed through it all and don't follow along with the story.)

    Dungeons - (Bosses really challenge you, and make you figure out how to defeat them.)

    Play this game if:

    You like to play with other an dare willing to join a decent guild.
    You like to take everything one at a time and actually pay attention to what is happening.
    If you enjoy large scale PvP.
    Like to use quality game crafting systems.
    Love the Elder Scrolls
    Love MMO's

    Don't play this game if:

    You don't like earning everything you get and have to work for it
    You don't want to deal with player based economy because believe me everything is player based.
    You don't like other people or playing in guilds.

    This is a short review int he coming months I will have more things to talk about with further patches. Give the game a try, you have to pay it 60 bucks for the game but at least the first 30 days are free and that will give you a feel of the game. Do not judge it based on questing from 1-10 actually do everything you can to get a full feel for the game    … Expand
  56. heartsss
    Apr 11, 2014
    10
    Such a fun and unique MMO! The questing is really, really interesting. They're diverse, with good stories, and it isn't the typical kill X quests. The graphics are really nice to and the game runs really well. They did a great job it's fun to explore, quest, and the combat is a big improvement from Skyrim.
  57. tafoya77n
    Apr 24, 2014
    9
    Great game, Zos has created a beautiful world with endless potential for great times. The quests are all beautifully voice acted and written. They really try to give the feeling of an elder scrolls game where you can change the world and that you are part of big events, the game defiantly does the best job of this out of any MMO I have played in the last 10 years.

    Classes are fun and    Great game, Zos has created a beautiful world with endless potential for great times. The quests are all beautifully voice acted and written. They really try to give the feeling of an elder scrolls game where you can change the world and that you are part of big events, the game defiantly does the best job of this out of any MMO I have played in the last 10 years.

    Classes are fun and customization, you really feel like you are building your own character, at least as much as a real MMO with this great of PvP can allow.
    There are endless things to do in the game, from dungon delving to massive Pvp battles with hundreds of players.
    This is a great MMO within the great elder scrolls universe and it absolutely does not disappoint.    … Expand
  58. SlachtungFyand
    Aug 2, 2014
    10
    I'm an Elder Scrolls fanatic, so when I heard about ESOs release I was thrilled. I'd be able to explore most of Tamriel! The MMO part of it caused my elation to take a serious nosedive though when I looked up the meaning of MMO. Bought the game anyway, and I'm glad I did.
    It feels like an Elder Scrolls game, It draws you in and makes you feel like you're a part of that huge, expansive    I'm an Elder Scrolls fanatic, so when I heard about ESOs release I was thrilled. I'd be able to explore most of Tamriel! The MMO part of it caused my elation to take a serious nosedive though when I looked up the meaning of MMO. Bought the game anyway, and I'm glad I did.
    It feels like an Elder Scrolls game, It draws you in and makes you feel like you're a part of that huge, expansive world. I still am not crazy about the MMO part but I'm getting used to it. I'm disappointed there is no player housing and I miss being able to interact with the environment like sitting in chairs, diving in water, collecting treasures and displaying them in your player home, having a companion.
    Graphically it's beautiful, which makes exploration a treat. The Scenery is varied and colorful. Morrowind looks different from Skyrim which looks different from Auridon... One drawback to exploring though is different zones go up in level and the critters/enemies are leveled to those zones. So exploring in Deshaan which is level 30 means level 30 enemies. So if you're level 12 you can't freely run around merrily exploring Deshaan cause you will be quickly killed by the many critters and bandits regardless of your prowess with a sword and shield or how skillful you are at kiting.
    Never liked third person perspective til this game, it adds to the combat, I can keep all the enemies in my line of sight and plan my attacks and defense better. And being able to control my character's direction with the mouse makes for smooth and quick movement when in combat or running for your life from much higher level enemies..
    The character creation is phenomenal! I can actually create a sexy Dunmer chick and that's saying something! And the freedom to customize your character however you want. You don't have to strictly adhere to certain class mold types like other games do. You can be a Nord sorcerer wearing heavy armor and wielding a 2 handed greatsword... and if you didn't like that you could change to sword and board and medium armor. Anything goes.
    I've been enjoying the quests, especially those that involve the Nords, they are hilarious. "When we asked Hraelgar Stonecrush to help defend the town, he accused me of being "fancy." I assume that's an insult in Skyrim. Also, I think he was drunk." -Drathus Othral
    Have had only one bug so far and that was in the quest Hrogar's Hold - Protecting the Hall... and I've been playing since the last beta. I will say since the last big v1.2.3 update my game has been crashing 3 - 5 times in a day of playing. It's kind of starting to frost my backside a bit cause Zenimax isn't offering any help with this issue. I submit the error reports but I never hear anything back from support.
    Bit expensive to get started with this game but I think it's well worth the money. I just won't buy my husband a Christmas present this year and that'll make up for the expense. (He's been naughty anyway)
    Over-all, I highly recommend ESO. I like it a lot. I'd actually love the game if they'd have player housing, let me store my treasures in my home and sit in a chair at my dining table with my handsome male Dunmer companion and my pet cat :).    … Expand
  59. DeciusFrecentis
    Jun 22, 2014
    9
    I must say, the negative reception this game has received has absolutely floored me. Maybe it's because I'm not an MMO buff. Maybe its because I really came to ESO looking for another single player game. But eitherway, I have not had so much fun since Oblivion.

    The only other MMO I have to compare this with is World of Warcraft. A friend got me into WoW and while it was passably fun    I must say, the negative reception this game has received has absolutely floored me. Maybe it's because I'm not an MMO buff. Maybe its because I really came to ESO looking for another single player game. But eitherway, I have not had so much fun since Oblivion.

    The only other MMO I have to compare this with is World of Warcraft. A friend got me into WoW and while it was passably fun while he was my companion, I found it too boring to continue alone. ESO is better by a mile! Where did ESO go right where I felt WoW was lacking? Well...

    The worlds are beautiful. Simply exploring and absorbing the vibrancy can be a joy. The quests have interesting stories and can emerge spontaneously. The actually have a modicum of depth...heck, sometimes I grow a genuine affection for them. And, even though you share the game world with other players, Zeni does a fantastic job of making it feel like yours, as you make choices that determine if other characters live or die, what kind of assistance you'll see in the future, and even watch major sections of the game world change as you progress.

    Also, the combat. Combat is evolving, visceral, strategic, and keeps you on your toes. Where as in WoW, you could literally fight with your eyes closed.

    There are things I don't like. Ingroup voice chat would be nice. There are no RPing servers which is also sort of disappointing. And too often dungeons are public when they should be private, and occasionally the reverse.

    But this is the most fun I have had since Oblivion. Maybe it's not a great MMO, because the cooperative and PVP aspects of the game are probably the most disappointing. Cyrodiil, for instance, is either extremely laggy or achingly empty. But it is, without a doubt, a marvelous experience that leaves me feeling like a kid in a candy store.    … Expand
  60. EV1LMADEFL3SH
    Nov 26, 2014
    10
    Best MMO I have played in a long time. well worth the money, after six months of playing, I still find myself playing this game for hours on end after a days work. This game might be the game the internet loves to hate, but it is so much fun.
  61. SenseyZ
    Feb 15, 2015
    10
    Update 6, Made a lot of changes... and this game should have a good score by March's time frame.
    Subscription was dropped. so now it's buy to play!
    And Justice system is added along with a great service that replaced the subscription, it's called "ESO Plus" Good to see this game getting back on its feet. I can't wait for the freaking console version coming this June, 9. The hype is    Update 6, Made a lot of changes... and this game should have a good score by March's time frame.
    Subscription was dropped. so now it's buy to play!
    And Justice system is added along with a great service that replaced the subscription, it's called "ESO Plus"
    Good to see this game getting back on its feet. I can't wait for the freaking console version coming this June, 9. The hype is gonna kill me    … Expand
  62. silvan415
    Dec 1, 2014
    10
    Felt I needed to come to the defense of this game. This is a fantastic game, unique to the genre and true to the mythos behind it. I've been a player of the Elder Scrolls series since Elder Scrolls 3, Morrowind. Although aware of the previous titles, they were before my time (or rather I was wrapped up in Ultima Underworld 2). What I'm trying to say is that this game holds true to allFelt I needed to come to the defense of this game. This is a fantastic game, unique to the genre and true to the mythos behind it. I've been a player of the Elder Scrolls series since Elder Scrolls 3, Morrowind. Although aware of the previous titles, they were before my time (or rather I was wrapped up in Ultima Underworld 2). What I'm trying to say is that this game holds true to all of the mythology behind the Elder Scrolls series and even builds on it.
    Now its not a perfect game: My experience with it is that its an incredible game, gorgeous and organic and true to the world, but its unforgiving if you don’t have a mission-plan for your character. There is no way to change your appearance and no ‘respec’ for your character. The skill path you choose is set in stone unless you suddenly win the Tamriel lottery, so if a skill path doesn’t work for you better delete and re-roll. To ‘respec’ you have to buy point by point at a rededication shrine, which can add up very quickly.
    The thing that truly makes this a unique MMO experience is that although there are four unique classes, the rolls of those classes are not set in stone. You can play as a tank Sorceror, or a DPS Dragon knight/Templar. You can essentially wield any form of armor and any weapon of your choosing as any class. Right now I’m playing a pure cut and dry sorcerer, cloth wearing and ‘lightning spec’. At the peak of my power I’m turning into lightning and using dark-jedi style lightning attacks against mobs of enemies.
    Now what truly impressed me about this game is the organic nature in which the animations coincide with one another. Unlike skyrim, you never feel like you’re ‘slicing’ through an enemy. The animations mesh together in such a way that there are times you feel as if your character is engage in actual combat situations. Too many MMO’s have the silly ‘slash and hit till they’re dead’ animation, this game requires actual skill. Power attacks require blocks, you have to time your attacks just right to manage hits, and you can get stunned if you power attack into a block. This is honestly something I haven’t seen since Phantasy Star Online 1. You certainly can’t button mash to get your way, and its is certainly more intelligent than WoW.
    Drawbacks:
    Clunky interface that is at times difficult to maneuver
    Needs work on enemy targeting
    ‘open ended’ but ‘unforgiving’ in difficulty (just like its predecessor titles)
    Difficulty grouping with slow and clunky group finders and dungeon finders. Like all MMO’s that try to herd you into having to group, this MMO becomes frustrating when the enemy difficult randomly shoots above to what you can easily handle. I like questing by myself, so there are times this game becomes frustrating and unplayable.
    Plusses:
    Beautiful well rendered open ended organic world
    Open ended classes that aren’t Pidgeon holed into designated roles
    Solid story with excellent voice acting with voices like Malcolm Mcdowell, Kate Beckinsale, Bill Nighy, Lynda Carter and Michael Gambon ( Dumbledore in Harry Potter)
    Amazing crafting system for those who enjoy crafting
    Phenomenal PVP with an end result of being nothing short of the Emperor of Tamriel ( if you can hold on to the title long enough…)    … Expand
  63. millertym
    Jun 22, 2014
    8
    Quick summery: If you loved the elder scrolls games, you will like this game a lot - at least though the leveling up portions. If you are a huge fan of WoW and more classically functioning MMOs, it may not be your ball of wax. What we have here is an MMO that is not quite different enough from other MMOs and an Elder Scrolls game that is a bit too different from Elder Scrolls games.Quick summery: If you loved the elder scrolls games, you will like this game a lot - at least though the leveling up portions. If you are a huge fan of WoW and more classically functioning MMOs, it may not be your ball of wax. What we have here is an MMO that is not quite different enough from other MMOs and an Elder Scrolls game that is a bit too different from Elder Scrolls games.

    Now more detail: Leveling up can be a basically solo/Elder Scrolls experience if you prefer that (which I did for reading books and lore and beating up mud crabs, etc...). They did an OK job of making you still feel like the bad ass of the world despite all the other players running around here and there. Questing never gets stale and you move around the map to new areas in a way that keeps things moving and interesting. They did a good job of keeping much of the feel of the Elder Scrolls games even in MMO form. Combat feels solid mostly. It's still "Elder scrollsish" with needing to point your character AT the target to hit them and be in range of your weapon or spell. No WoW type targeting at all. Blocking, dodging, interrupting, and lots of movement make boss fights a lot of fun. The 4 man dungeons are the most fun of any MMO I've played. The Graphics look solid and very much Elder Scrolls style. Crafting is pretty cool/good. You can work your way up to making astoundingly cool gear that competes with any drops or rewards. Voice acting is on par with the Elder Scrolls experience.

    On a negative note, there is a lot of 'been there done that' as far as an MMO goes. I wouldn't call it ground breaking at all. Mob placement schemes, strategically placed and static quest NPCs, the 'don't travel too fast' MMO feeling are all at play here. Also, while it's combat system is more enjoyable than other MMOs I've played, lag can play havok with it.

    In the end, I question why they would have put the effort into making this an MMO when they could have made a cooler Elder Scrolls experience making a new Elder Scrolls single player game. If they were ultra concerned with multiplayer, why not just add a co-op dungeon crawl module to an otherwise single player game. I've had very much fun leveling up my character and playing the game - but really the only place I've felt multiplayer added to the Elder Scrolls experience at all has been in dungeons. In any case, as an Elders Scrolls fan - it's certainly fun enough to level up through to max level, learn more lore about the Elder Scrolls world, and beat a few challenging dungeons with online pals.

    If you are an Elder Scrolls fan I predict you would have AT LEAST enough fun with this game to justify the cost and 1 or 2 months of the subscriber fee. And hey, if you end up loving the PvP it may be a fairly long term run for you.    … Expand
  64. Chrithu
    Mar 12, 2015
    9
    I hit the 5000 character limit with my long review so now I make a short bullet list:

    Positives: + Fully voiced + Best combat system in a Fantasy MMORPG so far. + Skillsystem and Class-System offering a lot of freedom. Any class can be made a Tank, DD or Healer + Crafted gear is often better than looted stuff, thus crafting matters. + No Auction House. (a good thing in my book for    I hit the 5000 character limit with my long review so now I make a short bullet list:

    Positives:
    + Fully voiced
    + Best combat system in a Fantasy MMORPG so far.
    + Skillsystem and Class-System offering a lot of freedom. Any class can be made a Tank, DD or Healer
    + Crafted gear is often better than looted stuff, thus crafting matters.
    + No Auction House. (a good thing in my book for a myriad of reasons)
    + Awesome storyline (for Aldmeri Dominion and Daggerfall Covenant)
    + Best race-specific voice-work and Dialog-writing in any Elder Scrolls game so far.
    + Update 6 brought a Justice System. I can kill most NPCs now, and steal the **** outta them.

    Negatives:
    - Very little group content before end-game.
    - No group Dialogues. SWTOR set a new standart here. Any MMO missing a similar system will have to accept losses in the rating.
    - OUrageously bad storyline for Ebonheart Pact, which consists of Elder Scrolls most favored races. Might be the reason for a lot of the bad reviews mentioning dull quests.    … Expand
  65. Nikademus
    Dec 4, 2014
    8
    One of the few handfuls of MMOs out there that don't rely on "loot" as the primary incentive to keep playing (as opposed to good storytelling or fun gameplay). Gorgeous graphic, sound, and music; voice acting is great too.
  66. Calcium
    Dec 22, 2014
    8
    I'm rating this game based on my CURRENT experience - not what I encountered at launch. Personally, I think the majority of the negative reviews are a result of several game-breaking bugs Zenimax (true to form) failed to patch for 6-8 months following launch.

    Onto my review.. Pros - Gorgeous graphics clearly engineered by people who knew what they were doing. My gameplay    I'm rating this game based on my CURRENT experience - not what I encountered at launch. Personally, I think the majority of the negative reviews are a result of several game-breaking bugs Zenimax (true to form) failed to patch for 6-8 months following launch.

    Onto my review..

    Pros

    - Gorgeous graphics clearly engineered by people who knew what they were doing. My gameplay experience didn't suffer horribly playing on a lower end machine before I finally replaced my old clunker computer.

    - Vibrant music. Rich, immersive environment. ESO mixed the melodies from Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim producing a beautiful, nostalgic feel.

    - Despite the fact this is an MMO, the main story-line was surprisingly attention-grabbing. I found myself wanting to level faster simply so I could complete the next part in the series.

    - Unlike other MMOs, ESO broke away from repetitive gather & deliver quests while leveling. Many (not all) side quests are actually quite involved & I found myself completing them not for the xp or gear rewards but merely because they captured my interest.

    - Many dungeon fights while extremely difficult at times, are incredibly creative. I find it far more enjoyable to defeat a boss with tricky mechanics vs. the plain old tank & spank most MMOs fall prey to. A fine example is where mobs jump on a random player and hook him/her up to a mid-evil torture device. Better figure that one out fast. ;)

    - I really enjoyed being able to see the homelands of many neglected races. Not to mention the fact each race's homeland has unique architecture & stunning environment. The artists did not hold back and breathed life into lands we could only read and imagine throughout the Elder Scrolls series.

    Cons

    - Banking & bag clutter. This issue is exacerbated by the fact gear, pets, collectible toys, etc. are stored in your actual inventory. Trust me, it matters and takes away from gaming experience as you find yourself dealing with full bags mid-dungeon and creating pack mule alts.

    - No auction house. This is (obviously) tied into difficulties players experience with clutter. However, they do have trading guilds and some see this as a more enjoyable feature than a full auction house. Personally I prefer convenience, yet I can understand the logic behind not having to compete with an entire server when pricing items.

    - For lore nuts, it's a bit weird when you find a book that wasn't written until a few ages after ESO. This is barely a con but I know it bugs a few people.

    - The way dungeon quests are executed is absolutely abysmal and really takes away from my gameplay experience. Basically, whomever talks to the NPC first, acquires the quest (and by default others in the group do as well) and the event starts. However, let me point out that only one person actually speaks with the NPC before the NPC runs off and usually that is when combat initiates. Once the dungeon is completed, you don't have the opportunity to re-do the initial story quest. There are dailies and even several high level variations of each dungeon. However, as I said the story quest will no longer be accessible to you. It's.... a really stupid design and I hope they change this in the future.

    That concludes my review. Overall, I would definitely recommend this game. Before I finish this however, I'd like to address the countless 0-5 reviews as they are not without merit given the dates. When this game was first released it was so riddled with bugs certain factions couldn't even level - mine included. At level 25 I had to skip every dungeon/group quest for my faction & dozens of area quests. At this point, the only activity I could participate in was PvP as entire areas would bug out & when I tried preemptively completing the higher lvl areas I'd wind up one shot. Since I literally couldn't play, I canceled my sub for 6-8 months and returned when it was fully patched and was shocked (in a good way.)

    ESO was nowhere near ready for release when it launched. However, the game it is today is far smoother & very enjoyable. Nothing like before. I rarely experience bugs & even then they're usually so insignificant that I only notice when one of my OCD guildies points it out. Also, ESO has been regularly updating & releasing new material making me hopeful for its future. That said, this is an MMORPG. If you are looking for a full RPG style game, you probably won't enjoy this for long. Other than that exclusion criteria, if you're looking for a new MMO you can enjoy from level one through Veteran/Raid content, you hit the jackpot. :)    … Expand
  67. Lizarino
    Jul 16, 2020
    9
    As someone who doesn't particularly enjoy MMOs, I really enjoy this game a lot.

    I've tried getting into a lot of other MMOs in the past and either not liked the controls, the the graphics or something else. Out of the about 10 or so MMOs I tried last year, ESO was the only one I could get into. It looked great for an MMO, I liked the art style, it had controls I liked and was used to    As someone who doesn't particularly enjoy MMOs, I really enjoy this game a lot.

    I've tried getting into a lot of other MMOs in the past and either not liked the controls, the the graphics or something else.
    Out of the about 10 or so MMOs I tried last year, ESO was the only one I could get into. It looked great for an MMO, I liked the art style, it had controls I liked and was used to and already like the world and lore from playing the single player elder scrolls games.

    Classes:

    There are currently 6 classes in ESO (4 free and 2 are with DLCs - warden and necro). All of the classes can do good damage, tank or heal, some better than others if you want to min-max.
    Each class has 3 skill lines and each skill has 2 morphs to choose from, which alter how it works. There's also skill lines for each weapon in the game as well as guilds, like fighters guild, mages guild, undaunted.

    This brings me into one big problem I have with the game: stamina builds and how limiting they are for what skills you can use. If you don't want to be forced into using a stave with a magicka build (another con for me) then you can do a stamina build. This forces you to only use 2 or 3 of your class skills at most which heavily limit your options and make your character much more boring, as well as having more than one stamina character pretty much the same as any other.

    Another thing I like about ESO is how you can solo most of the content in the game, if you hate other humans like me.    … Expand
  68. Mordus
    Apr 4, 2014
    9
    Many of the positive reviews go into many of the things that I agree with, so I wanted to focus on certain aspects and respond to other criticisms.

    Leveling is Fun - I don't feel the need to rush to max level. I explore the world looking for hidden NPC interactions, lore books, and loot. The combat is more challenging than any other MMO I've played. If you are a fan of Elder Scrolls and    Many of the positive reviews go into many of the things that I agree with, so I wanted to focus on certain aspects and respond to other criticisms.

    Leveling is Fun - I don't feel the need to rush to max level. I explore the world looking for hidden NPC interactions, lore books, and loot. The combat is more challenging than any other MMO I've played. If you are a fan of Elder Scrolls and know the lore, the story line from the beginning is full of fun references and meaningful plot developments from level 1.

    Why not a 10/10? - The game has a few bugs and technical issues that can get annoying.

    Response to Negative Reviews - A lot of the negative reviews on here are completely out of line with reality. They sound like they are coming from bitter players that didn't get the exact game they wanted.

    - ESO is NOT on rails, but it can play that way if you choose to. Just like in Skyrim you can choose
    to go right after the intro and follow the natural quest progression or you can go off and do your
    own thing and come back to complete that content later. The higher level you get the more it plays
    exactly like a traditional Elder Scrolls Game.

    - It is very much in the spirit of other Elder Scrolls games. The only difference is the archery
    mechanic and the limited skill bar which they needed for fast paced, dynamic, and diverse PvP

    - Most quests aren't kill 5 bears pick 10 flowers. They mostly have meaning to the story, if you have
    to kill an enemy it's because they are in your way or have something you need just like in Skyrim.

    - This is the least WoWish MMORPG ever... Those calling it a "Wow-a-like" must think every game
    with an avatar and an action bar is a wow clone...    … Expand
  69. VieriRoma
    Apr 5, 2014
    10
    For an Elder Scrolls fan, or a fan of MMOs in general, this game is a dream. Immersive, staggering amount of attention to detail, and just flat out fun to play. There is a ton of content in this game, and I just wish Zenimax had been more forthcoming with their information leading to release, but once you delve into the game, it is just massive. The combat is fun and engaging, and theFor an Elder Scrolls fan, or a fan of MMOs in general, this game is a dream. Immersive, staggering amount of attention to detail, and just flat out fun to play. There is a ton of content in this game, and I just wish Zenimax had been more forthcoming with their information leading to release, but once you delve into the game, it is just massive. The combat is fun and engaging, and the freedom to create builds with your characters is so much fun. I can only imagine what else is coming down the road with new weapon skill lines or class skill lines, or even new guilds. The graphics and the world are beautiful, and it manages to nail that Elder Scrolls feel of exploration and wonder. The quests are actually interesting, and not boring turn 10 of these in, come back, rinse and repeat. An amazing game overall, and most importantly, a smooth launch compared to some other big mmos in the past couple of years, with developers that actually are listening and fix things. Don't let the naysayers and trolls make you think this game is not worth it, because it most certainly is. A highly polished, fun, experience in a world you can lose yourself into for hours, I will be in Tamriel for the long foreseeable future.… Expand
  70. joanjett
    Apr 6, 2014
    10
    Wow is all i can say! This game has it all from pve to pvp. I've seen some people
    talk about how you can't explore? Bull...you even have runes for better exploration!
    And my god the game is huge! I started last sunday for the 5 day head start and i'm now at level 24 and i have been putting 10-12 hours a day in. There are some people who have max but thats your die hards who were beta    Wow is all i can say! This game has it all from pve to pvp. I've seen some people
    talk about how you can't explore? Bull...you even have runes for better exploration!
    And my god the game is huge! I started last sunday for the 5 day head start and i'm now
    at level 24 and i have been putting 10-12 hours a day in. There are some people who have max
    but thats your die hards who were beta tester's from when the game was in alpha and
    know all the tricks and did no crafting or exploring lol! And i love finding chests and trying to open em.

    The game graphics are top notch and the music is great! The combat is about same i've seen in games
    so nothing special there but thats ok with me. UI top notch! And the pvp area is not just for pvp as
    there are resources there for crafting and dungeons all over the place! LOL! Just make sure you got a good horse cause its freaking big! Don't understand the hate for this game....must be the kiddies cause they like
    everything to be free lol!    … Expand
  71. Ipico
    Apr 19, 2014
    8
    Giving this game some more time and Have to say I am really enjoying it, my last reviews was honestly based on the beta and a lot of improvements have come now still a lot of bugs but the game feels better now, maybe its the change of faction who knows but the game just feels and plays better to me now.
  72. realtonit
    Apr 10, 2014
    10
    I`ll give it a 10 because it made me quit WoW, finally.

    It`s better than WoW in almost every aspect, they just need to improve the game phisics, other than that its perfect, specially the PvP system. Castle wars are just too fun to describe. I`d play them everyday.

    10 out of 10 for ESO
  73. ethaner63
    Apr 8, 2014
    9
    I have played Morrowind, Oblivion, some Daggerfall, and Skyrim. I have also played WoW, Rift, Guild wars 1/2, Lineage 2, EVE, and LotRO (only a little).
    I have thoroughly enjoyed ESO. I'll start with the combat/levelling. The evolution of skill paths is **** genius, it allows for tons of different combinations and it really feels like you could use just about any spec that you come up    I have played Morrowind, Oblivion, some Daggerfall, and Skyrim. I have also played WoW, Rift, Guild wars 1/2, Lineage 2, EVE, and LotRO (only a little).
    I have thoroughly enjoyed ESO. I'll start with the combat/levelling. The evolution of skill paths is **** genius, it allows for tons of different combinations and it really feels like you could use just about any spec that you come up with effectively. The combat has most of the aspects of skyrim (sneaking is similar, etc.) except you have a tool bar with skills that is similar to GW2. There are no cooldowns on the skills, it is all about your stamina/magicka, so there is a lot of skill behind ordering your attacks and doing appropriate combos. There is an active dodge mechanic which keeps you on your toes and you have to be ready for aoes and power attacks from the mobs. It isn't a hyper complex combat system with amazing AI but it is much better than any other MMOs. ESO does a good job of borrowing good ideas from other MMOs and making them unique to the game while removing flaws that were apparent in their inspirations. There are anchors (like Rifts) and world boss spawns, public dungeons that you find just by wandering the environment. It really feels like elder scrolls to me, there are times where I completely forget that I am playing online. I like the artistry the most in this game, once you get past the tutorial and into some of the cool questlines there are some fantastic animation sequences/artistry. The environments are amazing (in the main quest for the Pact you end up in hammerfell at a tomb that is just breathtaking. This game retains that "Elder Scrolls Vibe" where you are totally entertained just wandering about the world looking at things. I find that I hardly pay attention to my levels/skills because I am legitimately invested in the quest lines, stories, and environments. This is not to say that there aren't grinding quests, but they are set up in such a way that they are auxiliary to a main goal or mission and you can get them out of the way at the same time (2 birds one stone, kill X number of people on your way to Y objective for the main questline in the area). The voice acting is impressive, tons of speaking characters and they all have entertaining dialogue. I can go on and on but I think you get it.
    There are some issues though, here are the ones that I have come up with. There is no open world PvP, so you can't take your character from one alliance and go terrorize the towns of another. This is disappointing because I love to do **** like that, and also I would like to explore the other zones without being forced to make an alt. The ranged combat is a bit frustrating, once you target an enemy the bow sort of just auto-aims at it. you can jump and do 360s and still land shots every time. It sort of ruins the immersion having arrows aim like that. I would suggest aimable arrows with more power so that dodging becomes a factor. I can see how scripting every arrow would be a feat of programming, so I can't complain too much. Some of the collection related grindy-sidequests have non-instanced collectibles which can be a pain in the ass if you are with a herd of people all trying to do the same quest and competing for the same collectibles. I can't comment on the endgame content but the world PvP is pretty entertaining, it is similar to WvWvW except the land is much larger and the siege is built in a better way. I'll have to mess with it more.
    Overall, ESO is probably the best MMO I've played in years, simply because it actually feels like an adventure and I enjoy the exploration and questing more than I ever have. There are flaws, but most of them are flaws that you would find in any other MMO (especially the last 2 that I listed). The environments are what make me come back, and the lore is integral to the game. The fact that it's in the second era makes all of the story fascinating because you find yourself working with the tribunal and a bunch of historical figures that you only get to read about in the other games.
    As a critic of many MMOs, I would give this one a 9/10. Probably the best rating I have given out in years and years. Let me know if you want further detail on anything. Don't let the people hating on the game get to you, most of them only played the beta or didn't get past level 10. The quest stories for the leveling zones always have cool cutscenes and you often find yourself whisked away to other worlds/continents, this keeps you from feeling like you are restricted to your alliance's land.    … Expand
  74. bluesnacks
    Apr 15, 2014
    8
    I'm saddened by these reviews, as many of the negative reviews are for silly reasons. "Bugs?" Come on guys. Give me an MMO that didn't have these at launch. By the way, they're fixing a ton of those bugs mentioned below me with a patch coming out today.

    "PvE is unbalanced." Really? That doesn't make sense. It's been out for a week, I'm surprised you've already made it to veteran level    I'm saddened by these reviews, as many of the negative reviews are for silly reasons. "Bugs?" Come on guys. Give me an MMO that didn't have these at launch. By the way, they're fixing a ton of those bugs mentioned below me with a patch coming out today.

    "PvE is unbalanced." Really? That doesn't make sense. It's been out for a week, I'm surprised you've already made it to veteran level and tested. Oh, wait.

    In all seriousness, it's a great game. If you enjoyed Elder Scrolls, and are an Elder Scrolls fanatic, maybe it's not for you. If you're looking for an awesome game to play though, this is it. It has engaging stories, fun combat and a myriad of things to do. Crafting is amazing; and this is coming from someone that has historically *hated* crafting. I was apathetic playing the betas, almost disappointed, but the game really has blown me away so far, and it doesn't deserve people down voting it because of bugs.

    As of this writing, 8 out of 10, things could be better, but it's still damn good.    … Expand
  75. Onimor
    Apr 12, 2014
    10
    It doesn't take long for a player to understand that they are in the mists of playing something very special. The art work in the game is the magnus opus of mmo-rpgs. Having played many of them in the past, ranging from vanilla wow, age of conan, TSW, Terra, Rift, TOR etc etc. This game manages to ignite a feeling in playing an MMO that had long since been jaded in my mind. The explorationIt doesn't take long for a player to understand that they are in the mists of playing something very special. The art work in the game is the magnus opus of mmo-rpgs. Having played many of them in the past, ranging from vanilla wow, age of conan, TSW, Terra, Rift, TOR etc etc. This game manages to ignite a feeling in playing an MMO that had long since been jaded in my mind. The exploration in this game is its biggest strength. I love playing this game. People who hate it, are rating it for the wrong reasons (connections issues, bugs, I suspect they are trying to play it on a rust bucket tin can machine). This is a solid game, very well made. I would recommend it to any Next Gen User also, as I suspect like Diablo 3 it was transition very well.… Expand
  76. xgamrx
    Apr 16, 2014
    9
    ESO is not your typical hack and slash MMORPG. It is a mix between Dungeon and Dragons Online, Age of Conan, Guild Wars, and World of Warcraft. I am not writing this review as a fan boy of Bethesda, but believe it is important that I chime in on the different perspectives of the game. The exploration and discovery component is enthralling to say the least. The battle engine could useESO is not your typical hack and slash MMORPG. It is a mix between Dungeon and Dragons Online, Age of Conan, Guild Wars, and World of Warcraft. I am not writing this review as a fan boy of Bethesda, but believe it is important that I chime in on the different perspectives of the game. The exploration and discovery component is enthralling to say the least. The battle engine could use some minor improvements but is adequate. The game play is really challenging and makes you think and prepare a plan before engaging in most battles. I have noticed no or minimal load times with absolutely zero in-game pop ups. The grinding is minimal while the character voice over, storyline and graphics are simply astonishing. It's a visceral treat and experience like no other. I will not comment on the PVP element since I am really not interested in that particular component. This review is coming from an extremely cynical gamer. Yes, ESO is not perfect and no game will ever completely meet or exceed our expectations, but it is still worth purchasing for any discerning gamer.… Expand
  77. 1am4critic
    Apr 11, 2014
    9
    Probably the best mmo out there since world of warcraft and guild wars. As an mmo, I feel the game is really engaging albeit slightly on the easy side. PVP is really fun, at first I thought the idea of the constant Cyrodil power struggle would limit what you could do as a pvper, but the battles can get really awesome. The loot is pretty cool, and I like how there are so many skillProbably the best mmo out there since world of warcraft and guild wars. As an mmo, I feel the game is really engaging albeit slightly on the easy side. PVP is really fun, at first I thought the idea of the constant Cyrodil power struggle would limit what you could do as a pvper, but the battles can get really awesome. The loot is pretty cool, and I like how there are so many skill abilities, sometimes I find it difficult which to chose. Compared to combat in other mmorpgs, I actually like this. If you seriously want to see numbers and damages dealt, there actually is a mod for that, and yes, ESO actually has mods! (which I feel is another plus), although mods are more limited than the singleplayer games like oblivion and skyrim.

    This game does have a few things keeping it from a ten though. Firstly, if you wish to play this as elder scrolls VI, you may find it a little bit of a disappointment. It was difficult merging the immersion level of the single player games and the fun, action and sociability of mmorpgs, and although I felt they did a good job, there are some obvious things that stick out. MMORPG people may find the game a little bit too not straightforward, the lack of ui and hud may frustrate a mmorpg veteran, while an Elder Scrolls fan may not appreciate the fancy abilities and hack and slash feel. Another thing that I should mention is the bugs, you would think a quality franchise like bethesda would have solved this by now, but expect to run into a few when you play. Fortunately nothing has been game breaking for me yet.

    The game is extremely good, and for an mmorpg, it is quite revolutionary. However, the joining of the two video game genres, although fairly seamless, had its flaws. But despite these flaws, I would say this is one of the best games I've played to date    … Expand
  78. streamlap
    Apr 8, 2014
    10
    Beside from the opening mission, questing is actually fun it doesn't feel as a grind at all.
    I really love the way you have total freedom over the way you develop your character and the way your frequently used skills and spells improve and you can morph them into something better and more personal it really makes you feel unique, this is surprisingly cause there is only 4 base classes to    Beside from the opening mission, questing is actually fun it doesn't feel as a grind at all.
    I really love the way you have total freedom over the way you develop your character and the way your frequently used skills and spells improve and you can morph them into something better and more personal it really makes you feel unique, this is surprisingly cause there is only 4 base classes to choose from.
    On top of that I think the pvp is amazing, even somewhat strategic at times also the use of siege weapons makes it ton of fun.
    On top of that the graphics are stunning.
    Overall I feel that this is one of few Mmo 's out there that does it right!    … Expand
  79. Player1gamer
    Apr 5, 2014
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Absolutely solid multi-player RPG game, with real RPG elements that have been disappearing from games lately. Great character building/skill systems, lots of choices in the game that actually feel important to your character's progression.

    Pros:

    -Great music and audio effects, combat/weather sounds are impressive
    -Character creation process offers a ton of customization
    -Incredible aesthetics, art assets are exceptional, best looking MMO on the market
    -Skill/weapon/armor system is top notch, lots of possibilities
    -Story/writing are very well done
    -Crafting is an involved but fun process, not a useless chore
    -Combat involves real time aiming, blocking, interrupting, dodging, weapon swings, etc.
    -Collision detection
    -The game can actually be challenging at times while leveling, but isn't overly punitive
    -You can become a vampire or a werewolf, complete with various strengths and weaknesses
    -Overall extremely high production value

    Cons:

    -"Exploration" can sometimes feel like aimless wandering, not knowing what to do next
    -Experience rewards may need to be raised for pvp, dungeons, etc.
    -You can occasionally hit a brick wall in terms of progression, run out of quests, etc.
    -Some quest lines are occasionally bugged

    In my humble opinion, the best part of ESO is the skill system. Unfortunately there's been a trend in RPG gaming lately to dumb down or outright remove skill systems, resulting in more of an "action-arcade" type of experience. ESO bucks this trend, and features one of the most thorough, well thought out systems I've encountered.

    Any class can wield any weapon or armor type(s), resulting in many unique yet effective character builds. Melee sorcerers wielding huge 2 hand weapons, tanks with a caster-like fire spell focus, bow wielding Templars with burst healing; crazy yet viable combinations are plentiful. You can weapon swap on the fly too, which opens you up for a whole second bar of abilities and alternate play-style. Basically, you can create whatever type of character you want, and if you're smart with your choices, it should work. Ever wanted to play a melee warlock type of character that dual-wields swords and wears a mix of heavy and light armor? Go for it, it's entirely possible.

    Your character will gain skill points through quest chains, finding/collecting "Sky Shards", and leveling up. You can then invest these points into class skills, weapon skills, armor skills, racial passive skills, crafting skills, vampire/werewolf skills, mages/fighters guild skills, etc., etc.. If you're into theory crafting, or planning out and building rpg characters, there's a lot to get involved in with this skill system. It isn't so complicated or elaborate that a novice would be put off, but it offers a ton of depth which is really refreshing. The choices feel important, which is vital for a great RPG experience.

    Anyway, I'd highly recommend this to anyone who considers them self a real RPG fan. This is probably one of the best RPG titles released in the past several years.    … Expand
  80. PixelCritic
    Apr 9, 2014
    10
    A delightful game.

    Story: It's compelling and immersive. Something refreshing, similar to SWTOR, but in a TES flavor, and unlike SWOTOR, this one comes with a great gameplay. Music: Amazing and inspiring. Even walking around cities will make you feel like buying the Soundtrack. Gameplay: Combat and animations are superb, the crafting system and open dungeons are a great experience    A delightful game.

    Story: It's compelling and immersive. Something refreshing, similar to SWTOR, but in a TES flavor, and unlike SWOTOR, this one comes with a great gameplay.
    Music: Amazing and inspiring. Even walking around cities will make you feel like buying the Soundtrack.
    Gameplay: Combat and animations are superb, the crafting system and open dungeons are a great experience without the frustration brought by other MMORPGs. Even regular combat feels epic.
    Social Interaction: This is where there is plenty of room for improvement. The Chat system makes it a bit difficult to keep track of players around you, and I would strongly suggest them to create RP phasing. The game uses a single server where people "phase" between instances by being paired with friends and guild members. The same should be done with Roleplayers. Roleplayers are often Elder Scroll fans who delve deep into the lore of the games. They prefer better communication and interaction and thus should get a "instance phasing" of their own.

    The game would get a 9, however I added an extra point to offset what I believe are unfairly low scores from users that really can't elaborate their reviews well at all.    … Expand
  81. GameroftheBeer
    Apr 10, 2014
    9
    This game is pretty great for someone who loves the Elder Scrolls universe and/or MMO's. That is not to say it is not without flaws, only that most flaws are bugs and not design/mechanics related. PvP is awesome and you truly feel part of a large scale battle at times, others you can be all alone scouting enemy territory. The graphics are somewhere between Oblivion and Skyrim.This game is pretty great for someone who loves the Elder Scrolls universe and/or MMO's. That is not to say it is not without flaws, only that most flaws are bugs and not design/mechanics related. PvP is awesome and you truly feel part of a large scale battle at times, others you can be all alone scouting enemy territory. The graphics are somewhere between Oblivion and Skyrim. Character customization is nearly infinite. The skill trees are seem linear but offer enough depth to truly be the type of player you want to be, a tank sorcerer, etc. While there is plenty to do in groups with friends in ESO, sometimes it seems if the quests want to separate parties into unique instances which is my only gripe currently with the PvE experience. Public Dungeons don't seem to have this problem but sometimes overcrowding can be the problem then.

    All in All, a great game and a nearly flawless launch compared to other recent online game launches.    … Expand
  82. Harlekin
    Apr 10, 2014
    9
    Some of the 'reviews', which are more subjective and unqualified opinions are not really suitable for a site like this. People turn towards these kind of sites to be able to get an idea about the game. Sad to see, that it is not really doable.

    Some people are trying to compare a MMO set in the Elder Scrolls lore with a stand-alone console / PC version, which has a different depth and a    Some of the 'reviews', which are more subjective and unqualified opinions are not really suitable for a site like this. People turn towards these kind of sites to be able to get an idea about the game. Sad to see, that it is not really doable.

    Some people are trying to compare a MMO set in the Elder Scrolls lore with a stand-alone console / PC version, which has a different depth and a different aim in general. People are trying to compare apples with pears here and it simply doesn't work.

    Nowadays many expect to have a free game, the graphics quality of the CryEngine 3 (so should like Crysis for example) etcpp. It simply is technically not feasible, so it would be good to gather information and understand first, before commenting like this on review pages. Further, people tend to forget the other MMOs out there and how they started out. Gazillion of bugs, technical issues, like lag, server crashes, packet losses and so forth.

    The game is actually fun. Of course it has its flaws as any other game too, but in regards to the big picture it does do a lot right. And I am not the biggest MMO player anymore. I quit more or less years ago. The game will receive its updates and improvements and will eventually grow over time.

    Sometimes I don't understand what people expect, when they say "it is nothing new" - well no, it is an MMO and there isn't much innovation that can be done in the first place --- look at the big screen or books --> same story there. The plot of many movies have existed for decades. They are visually pimped, have different actors and people like them, although there is not that much new to expect there as well.
    And for the costs? Paying a few bucks per month is no big deal to be honest. You simply can't neglect the running costs here - infrastructure, people, etc. It would be like going to Burger King and asking for free food. And a visit to the cinema already costs more nowadays. You can play 24/7/365 - that is more than you get for that money in many other fields.

    One thing for people who like to dismantle everything - it is easy to criticise something, but hardly anyone wirtes improvement points or suggestions. How would you make it better?
    Example: Someone cooks for you - you eat the food - you say: tastes like crap" ---> is that really valuabale information? I believe not! Something like:"you could have used these spices" or "cooked this a little longer" etc. is definitely more useful.

    Like that it is more like someone just complaining without having the knowledge to do so.

    My 5 cent.

    PS: No, I am not a fanboy, but I gave the rating due to so many unqualified '0's here.    … Expand
  83. Endenium
    Apr 30, 2014
    10
    This is easily the best MMORPG I have ever played. Its a fairly balanced hybrid classic ES gaming and classic MMORPG formula. It brings many new ideas to the genre, but then borrows too many dated clichés. Some of the quests are brilliant. Others are bland, grocery list, grocery shopping quests. Get this. Get that. However, with the seemingly 1000s of quests in the game, I seriously cannotThis is easily the best MMORPG I have ever played. Its a fairly balanced hybrid classic ES gaming and classic MMORPG formula. It brings many new ideas to the genre, but then borrows too many dated clichés. Some of the quests are brilliant. Others are bland, grocery list, grocery shopping quests. Get this. Get that. However, with the seemingly 1000s of quests in the game, I seriously cannot blame them for eventually running low on great ideas. Perhaps they just shouldn't have made the leveling process quite as long? Maybe. Maybe not. They had to appease such a wide variety of players. There's no doubt that even if they cut leveling time in half that people would just **** about not having enough single player material. No one should complain though as there is truly something in this game that should satisfy anyone and everyone. There is so much content packed into it that it is just straight up astonishing. IMO any gamers that hate this game were probably former hard core MMORPG players that burned themselves out playing WoW or something, and are bitter nerdos that just can't seem to allow themselves to enjoy anything that doesn't recreate that experience in the exact same way. Its like those old bitter men that complain about "kids these days" and new music that comes out. They keep comparing it to a time when they were just generally happier in life, PERIOD. And they blame the new game or new music for their own failure or capacity to have fun or enjoy something.

    ESO is fun as **** if you approach it with an open mind, an open heart, and a willingness to make the best of something that reaches so far in so many different directions. It is quite enjoyable, just as long as you don't compare it to the glossy nostalgia of biased memories. It will never compare to the memory of your favorite dream from long ago. It will however, be completely fulfilling and rewarding if you allow yourself to embrace something new in your life instead of resenting anything and everything that isn't exactly what you once had.    … Expand
  84. AdamE
    May 4, 2014
    10
    I was hesitant to buy this game because of the subscription. However, after taking the plunge and buying it, I would totally recommend it. The game looks great and the world is enormous. There are also tons of interesting quests to do. Overall, I imagine I'll spend a huge amount of time playing it.
  85. Fabtech23
    Apr 5, 2014
    9
    Just shy of being, in my opinion, a perfect MMO. Some bugged quests and some quests that feel too "fetchy" remind me that this still an mmo at heart. Overall though Zenimax did a fantastic job translating the Elder Scolls universe in to the multiplayer world. Class creation is essentially limitless thanks to the unique skill trees and how they can evolve. Voice acting is superb and I neverJust shy of being, in my opinion, a perfect MMO. Some bugged quests and some quests that feel too "fetchy" remind me that this still an mmo at heart. Overall though Zenimax did a fantastic job translating the Elder Scolls universe in to the multiplayer world. Class creation is essentially limitless thanks to the unique skill trees and how they can evolve. Voice acting is superb and I never felt like I was grinding level, just nicely progressing a story. Each zone, like other mmos, is broken in to the level range. However, each zone itself is essentially a mini skyrim, and you are free to explore it as you see fit with no shortages of random dungeons, quests, bosses, chests, or crafting modes to find. Endgame content remains to be seen, but if what I have experienced so far is any consolation, we're in for a treat. PVP is extremely large scale and the auto-jump to level 50 is nice for low level players allowing them to complete quests and feel involved in the current conflict. Attacking/ defending towers as well as placing siege artillery feels purposeful and meaningful. Honestly the best mmo I have ever played and overall just a great game. It might not play out to be the WoW killer everyone is waiting for, but it's a solid game in a series with a massive fan base. $15 a month is worth the plethora amount of content you're getting, seriously we're talking hundreds of hours.… Expand
  86. WreckBeard
    Apr 5, 2014
    10
    This game is simply awesome. There are a few bugs that are slightly annoying, but it is all normal for a game that just launched. It has that Elder Scrolls feel, but with the ability to join a large community with it.

    I would recommend this game to all of my friends.
  87. GuruChaz
    Apr 30, 2014
    9
    I played in the beta and I wasn't sure I wanted to purchase this game. It felt like I was playing a flat single player game and just chatting with people online. I don't know what happened but about a month after release, I decided to trade a few PS3 games in at Gamestop, pay the difference, and get Elder Scrolls Online. I have to say that I am enjoying the release version of thisI played in the beta and I wasn't sure I wanted to purchase this game. It felt like I was playing a flat single player game and just chatting with people online. I don't know what happened but about a month after release, I decided to trade a few PS3 games in at Gamestop, pay the difference, and get Elder Scrolls Online. I have to say that I am enjoying the release version of this game way more than I did the beta version. There's a lot more polish and the game doesn't feel as flat. It's been enjoyable as both a Nightblade and a Sorcerer. Dungeon groups are fun and the story line and quests are abundant and well done. I'm a picky gamer and I will sincerely give this game a 9. I don't know who is giving it a 6.2 or whatever. That's ridiculously low...stupid low, in fact. It's really good if you like Elder Scrolls and especially the crafting system.… Expand
  88. The_Grim
    Jun 11, 2014
    9
    To be honest, it is shocking that this game has an average user rating of 5.9. To put this in perspective, this is a significantly lower rating than Marvel Heroes, TERA, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, Darkfall: Unholy Wars and Dungeons and Dragons Online received. All of which are *vastly* inferior to the gaming experience of Elder Scrolls Online.

    As an MMO fan since around 1999, this is    To be honest, it is shocking that this game has an average user rating of 5.9. To put this in perspective, this is a significantly lower rating than Marvel Heroes, TERA, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, Darkfall: Unholy Wars and Dungeons and Dragons Online received. All of which are *vastly* inferior to the gaming experience of Elder Scrolls Online.

    As an MMO fan since around 1999, this is far and away the best MMO that has released since World of Warcraft came out in 2004 (that includes the Secret World...which is another MMO I was very fond of). It is has kept my interest similar to how my favorite MMOs to date have: 1) Asheron's Call, 2) Dark Age of Camelot, 3) World of Warcraft, 4) City of Heroes and 5) The Secret World all did when they came out. It is too premature to say if it will crack that top 5, but it certainly has the potential to do so. If you are an MMO fan and have not played this, you are truly missing out on a very entertaining MMO gaming experience.

    There has been a ton of misinformation regarding this game. I wanted to address several of the common incorrect things that have been stated regarding this game based off my experience playing it since pre-launch:

    - The game is not even remotely as buggy as people claim it is. I have encountered (through yesterday) 4 bugged quest through approximately 525 completed. Of those 4, there were 3 that were fixed 2 days after the official launch of the game and 1 (introduced a week and a half ago) that was fixed this Monday.

    - The bot situation has been over exaggerated greatly. Botting was an issue but primarily occurred (but not limit to) the lower level zones. It was unlikely, but not impossible to see them outside of those areas. In the two months I have played, I have seen a total of 5 bots. That number does not indicate a rampant problem, but it was something that did need to be addressed. This is something that Zenimax has been working on and I haven't seen a bot in a few weeks at this point.

    - As a big fan of the Elder Scrolls game (especially Oblivion and Skyrim), it is not a standard Elder Scrolls game, but honestly...that would be difficult to do in an MMO format. The reason being is that it is hard to provide a level based progression in a true sandbox environment (that was something that the Secret World was able to kind of get around while leveling by just rewarding skill points). However, this is a great Elder Scrolls game as a MMO. It is important to make that distinction.

    - The questing while leveling is actually fun and the story line provide some very interesting lore to help drive and form what your doing. This combined with the huge game map and incredible graphics as well as sounds provides some a great immersive game experience.

    - The combat and specialization options provides a different and unique approach to the standard MMO genre conventions. The combat is more resource limited with active combat elements (such as blocking, dodging) with no true global cooldowns. In addition, there is a ton of different specialization options for your characters...with very few true cookie cutter builds (most that are obviously superior have been getting carefully and methodically adjusted). The ability to build your character around your preferred gaming style is very refreshing. However, this is a caveat to this when you get into the Veteran Ranks that I will mention below).

    - The reason this game is currently getting a 9 (instead of a 10) from me is due to the undefined way that Veteran Ranks are being handled. They don't seem to have a clear concept (or haven't shared it with the user community) of how those will be utilized to provide further progression in the game. This lack of clarify and currently implementation makes the leveling for the Veteran Ranks more grindy and less rewarding that the 1-50 experience. In a recent newsletter, they did say they were looking at ways to improve this, but there are no specifics as of yet. That is my primary concern for this game at current. If they can develop a good system for this that fits into character progression, this game will be amazing.

    In closing, I would recommend if you are an MMO fan that you check this game out when the opportunity arises and that you do not buy into the hyperbole regarding this game. If you are wary of buying it (only $30 on Amazon in the US right now), I would recommend waiting for a sale on it, a friend pass or a trial if it becomes available to see for yourself. This is the best MMO to become available on the market in a long time and don't let someone else's misinformation steer from trying a great game.    … Expand
  89. Ralathar44
    Apr 14, 2014
    10
    The Elder Scrolls Online manages to be a unique and compelling game that bucks the conventions of traditional MMORPGs and brings a little of that Elder Scrolls flavor into the MMORPG scene. But do not mislead yourself, it is NOT Skyrim 2.

    Essentially it is a fairly free form MMORPG that makes questing interesting and matter, gives great freedom of building your character, and on a more    The Elder Scrolls Online manages to be a unique and compelling game that bucks the conventions of traditional MMORPGs and brings a little of that Elder Scrolls flavor into the MMORPG scene. But do not mislead yourself, it is NOT Skyrim 2.

    Essentially it is a fairly free form MMORPG that makes questing interesting and matter, gives great freedom of building your character, and on a more subtle level really makes the world feel satisfying. The quests all make sense, areas don't feel the same, interesting little things are tucked around every corner, and the atmosphere and music cap it off. The world just feels alive.

    Lets get down to business.

    Story: 10

    I'm not talking about huge jaw dropping story moments here. The game manages to be consistently real and interesting throughout. Each quest feels real and you don't get sent out on fetch 10 or kill 20 quests. Instead they want you to do things like save crew members, stop rituals, find books of dark knowledge, stop mutinies, pray at shrines to pay respect to a mothers children, etc.

    Killing and item uses happens during these quests, but the focus is on accomplishing something and not just slogging through something to put more exp on your bar. This is the first time in forever that I actually read quest text.

    SWTOR did well on story too, but it had great high points and then everything else sucked. TESO is consistently good throughout. TESO beats out every other MMORPG when it comes to consistently good story, hands down.

    Graphics: 10

    This has some of the best graphics of any MMORPG on the market. Within it's genre it is top notch. But this is not to be compared to skyrim, it's a multiplayer game with the capability of putting 500 people on screen at one time and still running smoothly, that would kill Skyrim.

    Also, people tend to think about MODDED skyrim. Vanilla Skyrim and even DLC HD Skyrim is not near as impressive before you start adding all the custom mods to it.

    Atmosphere: 10

    Each area feels hand crafted. I've been looking for areas that looks the same and have not yet found one. Each area feels appropriate to itself and the quests in that area. The music and the quests given strengthen this. There are scenic views, shipwrecked coastlines, swamps, forests, beautiful cities, etc.

    I've been been playing MMORPG's a long time and without a doubt this is the best one I've played in regards to atmosphere.

    Gameplay: 8/10

    The game starts out a little slowly in the gameplay department and before you hit level 10-15 your combat is much less dynamic and interesting than it will be later. So hang in there. Once you make it past those level though:

    The gameplay is solid and fun, but it's not groundbreaking and it won't be the reason you stay in TESO. Granted this is much much better in PVP, but even then it's just good and not heads and tails above other games like some of it's other aspects.

    The combat is complex enough to be challenging without overflowing you with buttons. The character building is varied and doesn't seem to have "right" answers atm and dungeons have even been run with all DPS. Speaking of, dungeon encounters are really fun :D.

    Dungeons: 10

    I'm not much of a raider. I raid and do dungeons in every MMORPG a little bit but have never been drawn in before...till now. I've raided in quite a few MMORPGs too.

    TESO dungeons however manage to be consistently entertaining and CHALLENGING. A good clean run through might have 2 wipes in it, but it doesn't feel too punishing to wipe out here and there and in fact each boss gives you a soul gem (to revive with) so it's kind of expected.

    Boss mechanics are fun and challenging, the atmosphere in dungeons is amazing, the story of dungeons is solid, and the level design is great.

    PVP: 10

    PVP is amazing and is likely the closest thing to Dark Age of Camelot that has happened yet. I would say it's very comparable to Guild Wars 2 PVP EXCEPT it's much deeper and more satisfying. Losing battles in TESO MATTERS. Rezzing is limited. The map is HUGE.

    Combat is fast and frenetic but not as much so as Guild Wars 2, being slightly more strategic. I wouldn't say it's perfect, there are still some tweaks that likely need to be made, but it's VERY good.

    Also, just watching a battle with siege weapons and spells firing back and forth is a spectacle to behold.

    UI: 8/10 The games minimalistic UI is clean and immersive, staying out of the way to enhance you feeling part of the world. If this does not appeal to you then you can turn on more UI in the options to get the information you crave. If this still isn't enough for you then the game supports add-ons via LUA . But the game loses 2 points on UI for it's Guild Store system, which needs some work currently. Conclusion: Very very solid story based MMORPG that has a unique feel from there others and has well done PVP. I highly recommend trying it out for yourself    … Expand
  90. Faidin
    Apr 13, 2014
    10
    I think this is an excellent game - the best mmorpg I've played since DAOC / EQ1. The combat is enjoyable, the quests are a lot of fun to complete, and the best part about this game is that it never feels like a grind. It's just one epic experience that keeps getting better.
  91. Tanikaze
    Apr 13, 2014
    10
    I give this game a 10 to counter the unnecessary negative pple giving it 0 with no reason!
    The Elder Scrolls Online is really a great game, being both a huge MMO with PvP and social features, and an RPG with deep lore and customisation. It still has bugs, but it's less bugged than Skyrim at release and servers are fine.
    Don't miss it if you were waiting for an MMO that isn't a WoW-clone    I give this game a 10 to counter the unnecessary negative pple giving it 0 with no reason!
    The Elder Scrolls Online is really a great game, being both a huge MMO with PvP and social features, and an RPG with deep lore and customisation. It still has bugs, but it's less bugged than Skyrim at release and servers are fine.
    Don't miss it if you were waiting for an MMO that isn't a WoW-clone (and that finally uses some cool graphics)!!!    … Expand
  92. MikeMosson
    May 3, 2014
    8
    I have played TES games for a long time and I have probably clocked a crazy amount of game time on them. I would say that it is not true that ESO is really a WoW killer, yea it is a good MMO and it is really good fun, but they have made it very expensive to play (£40 for a copy and then £8 a month). They have done really good things with the MMO by making the graphics good and you able toI have played TES games for a long time and I have probably clocked a crazy amount of game time on them. I would say that it is not true that ESO is really a WoW killer, yea it is a good MMO and it is really good fun, but they have made it very expensive to play (£40 for a copy and then £8 a month). They have done really good things with the MMO by making the graphics good and you able to go into 1st person mode etc which is amazing, I would suggest giving it a try because it's good but not as good as one of the single player games are.… Expand
  93. Shuk
    May 21, 2014
    8
    This is easily one of the better MMOs to release in quite some time. The class system is unique and holds an immense variety of builds and possibilities for your character. Most of the broken quests have been fixed, and those that are still touchy are ones that can be worked around easily. There's nothing game-breaking really, no major crash issues, and poor server-side performance hasThis is easily one of the better MMOs to release in quite some time. The class system is unique and holds an immense variety of builds and possibilities for your character. Most of the broken quests have been fixed, and those that are still touchy are ones that can be worked around easily. There's nothing game-breaking really, no major crash issues, and poor server-side performance has been cleaned up a lot in PvP. Speaking of PvP - it is very entertaining RvR style with a wide variety of effective means of defeating your enemy, as well as all sorts of PvE content within the PvP zone as well. Exploration and achievements are fun and rewarding, many quests are only discovered while exploring - oh and don't forget books! End-game 'adventure zones' are announced and incoming, complete with raid content. +10

    Some persistent issues and minor gripes. A big one would include bots. Megaservers tend to suffer from high bot visibility, but they are also quite rampant even taking that into consideration. They are aware of the issue and are working toward proactive measures of dealing with bots. Some class balancing and fixes are needed for abilities that don't work properly. Another gripe would be the game is a bit too solo friendly before veteran ranks, and group functionality is limited in that the game will often put group mates into different phases if one has already done the quest or doesn't have the quest - this can be annoying, especially when trying to sync up quest progress or if you want to run quests with a friend who does not have precisely the same progress. It is also a bit linear at times, you basically need to do most all quests in each zone in order to be the appropriate level for the next area - and there are few alternatives other than grinding. Why anyone would want to skip the quests and dungeons is beyond me, but whatever. Customer service also needs a lot of work - it takes them several days to address issues that people have accessing the game for whatever reason and that's just not good. -3

    All in all good game. After reading some of the very negative reviews... some have valid gripes (many have been fixed/addressed) but some are just so far out there as if they expected Skyrim with multiplayer..... or are perplexed by use of standard MMO elements.... or gripe about stupid totally irrelevant crap like lvl scaled mudcrabs... due to such nonsense I have to give +1 for MMO developers dealing with the ever increasing absurdity of gamer demands.    … Expand
  94. toaster00
    Apr 28, 2014
    9
    Incidentally, I'm willing to accept that scores from maybe 3-8 are honest expressions of opinion which differ from mine. But scores of 0? Please. That's just preposterous. Even if I only looked at the (rapidly disappearing) bugs and not the solid fundamentals, this game can't seriously be rated below a 5. Scores of 0 smack of an organised campaign by WOW neckbeards to keep people playing aIncidentally, I'm willing to accept that scores from maybe 3-8 are honest expressions of opinion which differ from mine. But scores of 0? Please. That's just preposterous. Even if I only looked at the (rapidly disappearing) bugs and not the solid fundamentals, this game can't seriously be rated below a 5. Scores of 0 smack of an organised campaign by WOW neckbeards to keep people playing a dying game.
    This game is, at worst, an acne-spotted teenager who has a good future if things go right. WOW is a senile old man that smells of cheese and whines on and on about the old days.    … Expand
  95. Querelle
    May 1, 2014
    10
    It's the best storytelling MMO so far. A world immersive, rich and beautiful and enormous waits to be discovered. I have never been so absorbed by a MMO-World. I really love this game! For me it's the best Elder Scrolls game so far because it is much more storydriven and you can feel the leitmotif much more than in any other Elder Scrolls game...
  96. tmacdonald
    May 3, 2014
    9
    The Elder Scrolls Online is a great game which manages to make staple game features feel fun and fresh, and provides a world full of interesting places to explore. Everyone should take it upon themselves to play this marvellously crafted MMORPG
  97. ManrayInTheSky
    Jan 25, 2015
    10
    Best continuation of TES series. Beautiful graphic, nice pve, open world, non-target, pvp siege battles. Don't even listen to haters, you will love it.
  98. Sturminator
    Apr 4, 2014
    9
    It's no joke that, in recent years, the mmo genre has become over saturated and as a result become almost stagnant and dry. 2014 is turning out to be a hopeful year for mmo players, not only because of Wildstar or WoD, but because of the Elder Scrolls Online. By no means is the game perfect, but what if there is one word I would use to describe ESO it would be: Fun. The only reason IIt's no joke that, in recent years, the mmo genre has become over saturated and as a result become almost stagnant and dry. 2014 is turning out to be a hopeful year for mmo players, not only because of Wildstar or WoD, but because of the Elder Scrolls Online. By no means is the game perfect, but what if there is one word I would use to describe ESO it would be: Fun. The only reason I wouldn't give this game a higher score is because in its current state it is very buggy. Hopefully Zenimax can iron these problems out, but until then I will think of ESO as a very enjoyable game with a lot of potential.… Expand
  99. nomad2185
    Apr 11, 2014
    10
    I love it!Best MMO out there(personal opinion).I'm regular player of WoW the last 4 years but ESO is so different with great meaning of say ! The Graphics and Music are Great!Customer service is very good until now and The exploring is great! It's worth 13 euros per month.
  100. Dreycraft
    Apr 10, 2014
    10
    If you're tired of the same old mmorpgs to hit shelves, if you're tired of mmorpgs promising innovation but just end up being a huge letdown, and if an mmorpg that encourages you to explore a gorgeous world and feels old-school with modern mechanics of the genre sounds right up your alley, The Elder Scrolls Online is your game, period. Very few people even know just how massive this gameIf you're tired of the same old mmorpgs to hit shelves, if you're tired of mmorpgs promising innovation but just end up being a huge letdown, and if an mmorpg that encourages you to explore a gorgeous world and feels old-school with modern mechanics of the genre sounds right up your alley, The Elder Scrolls Online is your game, period. Very few people even know just how massive this game is, certainly not the haters, they just pretend to know so they can give it ridiculously undeserved low scores because for some reason the game just pisses them off. Let me put it this way, if you played Oblivion, you know the land of Cyrodiil quite well, this game has the entire province of Cyrodiil from Oblivion, it's the same size, and the entire map is a PvP playground. When I first learned that, my jaw hit the floor, and when I finally experienced it in-game myself, my jaw hit the first story floor of my house. The PvP in this game is unmatched, and that's just one aspect of what this game has to offer. You can build a character however you want, wear whatever armor you want, and use whatever weapon you want. For some reason you want to be a rogue-type class(Nightblade) that wears heavy armor and wields a massive two-handed battleaxe? No problem, you have that option, and that just popped in my head, it may not make sense but who cares, that's why ESO rules. Then there is the crafting, you don't have to train to get them and aren't limited to only a few crafts, you can master them all at once, and you can immediately go out and gather any materials you find and begin experimenting with them to create instantly useful items. ESO's combat is just awesome, it uses what is called reticle-targeting action combat meaning you can miss your enemies if you don't have the reticle aimed on them, and everyone can dodge, block, interrupt, and sneak. The main story and other quests have been very clever and entertaining as well, even the low level ones. I could go on forever, there's so much this game has to offer, it's just ridiculous. If you love this genre and pass on The Elder Scrolls Online, you just robbed yourself. IGNORE THE HATERS!… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Most Discussed PC Game of 2014
14
#14 Most Shared PC Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 64 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 64
  2. Mixed: 36 out of 64
  3. Negative: 1 out of 64
  1. CD-Action
    Jul 23, 2014
    60
    Eight years of development, a team consisting of even 250 people at some points, budget reaching hundreds of millions of dollars. It’s a pity that this ‘Skyrim Online’ disappoints both fans of previous Bethesda games and MMORPG veterans who expected some fresh air in the stale genre. [06/2014, p.44]
  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jul 8, 2014
    60
    A well done MMO that can lure players not familiar with the genre. But if you've played MMOs before, this one doesn't offer anything new, nor anything exciting.
  3. DarkStation
    Jun 16, 2014
    50
    60 days was more then enough time for me to determine that I would rather spend my time elsewhere.
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